Life Matters

Get Close To God

2009-10-20T22:56:00.003-04:00

It has been a while since I last wrote anything. I would have to say that I have walked at least close to, the valley of the shadow of death, at least emotionally. But I must say, that I have had good times worshipping the Lord, during this time. I have found, that even though as a pastor, I taught about how God needs to be priority, and how the Word of God needs to be primary in our lives, even through difficulty and hardship. But it is one thing to teach it. It is an entirely different thing to live it. And to the people I taught, I apologize. But the Lord has allowed me this valley for a reason. I don't yet know what it is, but one day I know that I will look back, and see the hand of my Savior as He led me the entire journey.

Many people have criticized me, saying that there must be this great sin in my life, for me to be going through this. Those people have sat in judgment against me, and will have to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Romans 14:4-13 says this:

"Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live tot he Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."

The emphasis on that is mine, of course. I have been the subject of gossip and slander, and have been judged, by people I thought were my friends. That is not the point. The point is, is that we will all have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account. We seem to minimize that somehow, as Christians. Beloved, this life is precious, and I am finding out more and more, that people are in such need of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. And people are very open to talking about it. I got a tattoo tonight, and talked to the tattoo artist for a couple hours about spiritual things, on his part, and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit on my part. We talked about how God speaks to our hearts, and speaks into our lives. I have begun a relationship with him now, and will continue to stop in there and just say hello and minister to him when I can.

I started this writing to talk about worship, but I guess the Lord had other plans. Beloved, get close to God. I don't mean religion. There are rules, and rituals, and the swishing of robes, and candles, and lists of do's and don'ts. Get close to God. Get close to Jesus Christ, Emmanuel. God with Us. If you don't know Him, and you are reading this, confess your sins to Him, tell Him that you want to repent of your sins, ask Him to forgive you - and He will, and then ask Him to teach you to love Him - and He will. It is that simple. Ask Him to be the Lord and Savior of your life, and to make you into the person He wants you to be. Ask and receive. That is all there is to it. Believe that He is who He says He is (and He is), and believe that He will do all that He says He will do (and He does). Let me know if you have accepted Him as your personal Lord and Savior of your life, by commenting on this blog. May the God of heaven and earth bless you with all blessings, through the power and might of the Holy Spirit of God. Shalom.

Learning To Feed

2009-05-07T12:21:00.003-04:00

A lot of times when people leave the church, they tell me, "Well, I'm just not being fed. I feel like God is leading me to another place to worship." It usually goes something like that. I have in the distant past, used those words myself. But what I have found from personal experience over the years, is that there wasn't something wrong with the pastor, there was something wrong with me, and my own relationship with the Lord. The reason I wasn't being fed is because my life was filled with pride, or rebellion, or something that was keeping me from being close in relationship with the Lord. So, consequently, I wasn't being fed. And it wasn't my fault. Furthermore, to state that the Lord was telling me to move on, that couldn't be, because I wasn't hearing from Him in the first place. So I must have been listening to someone else's voice.

As the North American Church, we have had a lot spoon-fed to us, to the point, that we have forgotten how to feed ourselves. Sunday morning is not for our "feeding" but for our encouragement. Our feeding is to take place Monday through Saturday. That is why the Church in America is anemic. We have gotten away from studying our Bible through the week, and we leave it up to the pastor to "feed" us for the week. Then we come up feeling empty and weak, we then have a target for that.

Beloved, we are at a time in history, where Bible reading and studying needs to be even more prevalent in our lives, because we are living in the last days of the Last Days. We need to know that we know what we know. Many deceivers and false teachers have come and are still to come, so we need to be able to discern what the truth of God's Word says. So, get into the Word, and let the Word get into you.

Are you being fed? Are you feeding yourself? Examine the real reasons you go to the church that you do. Is it close to home, so that it is convenient? Do they have a great children's program even though the doctrine is a little "off"? Are you willing to sacrifice correct doctrine so that your children can have a good time in children's ministry? Do you like or not like the building in which they reside? Is going to church about the building or it's location? These are questions that need to be answered honestly and open before the Lord.

Also, learn to feed yourself. Learn to do Bible study on your own. Take time to spend with God. Don't allow the enemy of our souls to steal away the time we have to commune with our Lord and Savior. And drink lots of liquids. Shalom.

The Days Of Mice And Men

2009-03-26T10:45:00.001-04:00

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

There have been a lot of happenings in our world as of late, which fit into the grand scheme of things which are outlined in the Bible. China is calling for a one-world currency. Russia has a treaty with Iran and Libya. This would not be pertinent information if one did not ever read the Bible. If you read Ezekiel 38-39, you might find this more interesting. You can open your Bible and your morning paper side-by-side, and see the events of prophecy unfold day after day. The world is in danger of being duped by the evil one, the enemy of our souls, the dragon himself, Satan.

I believe that we as believers have come to the time, that we walk not as the three blind mice, to be led around "blindly" by those in leadership over us. It is time for us to walk circumspectly, and to take our eyes off of the kingdoms of man and focus on the kingdom of heaven. Now, I don't mean revolt against the government, nor take up arms in a new revolution. I believe we need to be educated and informed in the ways of the evil one, even as we walk through this world and are reaching out to evangelize in the name of Jesus. The Bible tells us to be as wise as serpents and as innocents as doves (Matthew 10:16). In our verse for today, Paul tells the Ephesians (and us), to walk not as fools but as wise. As we walk through this world, this life, as we are reaching out in Jesus' name, we need to be aware of the world around us, so that we can communicate the truth of the gospel to the dying world around us. Be a Bible Thumper? Not necessarily. Don't look for the antichrist, look for Jesus Christ. But be aware that we are being led by men. Yes, God has allowed them to be in leadership over us, but we are also not to follow blindly as to violate the Word of God. Beloved, let us walk with information and knowledge, applying the Word of God to our lives. It is relevant for today; this day in which we live. Be ready and prepared, and keep your eyes on the eastern sky. Shalom.

In My Opinion...

2009-03-03T15:28:00.012-05:00

It has been a favored pattern of mine to list a verse here, and then comment on it. Today, I want to offer something a bit different for me, and even for you readers out there.

I believe we are living in the very last days before the Rapture of the Church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ. Several things point to this, in my opinion. First of all, look at what is happening in our country, in regards to Israel. Our leaders (and media) are putting more and more pressure upon Israel to just give it all up, and take whatever Hezbollah and Hamas dishes out to them, like good little boys and girls. It seems if the current administration, and of course the mainstream secular media, had their way, Israel should be content to be on the receiving end of violence, destruction, and all around nastiness. Not to mention the 4.000 rockets launched into Israel from the Gaza strip, or the suicide bombs, or other various forms of destruction that has been wreaked upon them. But even that aside, Israel just elected Benjamin Netanyahuh, a strong leader who is not afraid to lead Israel against Iran or any other enemy, without the United States of America as an ally. Russia is in the process of sending an air defense weapons system to Iran, that is capable of shooting down Israeli planes and drones. But it will take a few months for that to be up and operational, leaving a few months window for Israel to take action against Iran, a country that has vowed to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Israel will go alone against Iran in the upcoming months, during this window, in my opinion.

Look at what else is happening in the world. If you know your Bible, you cannot read the headlines and realize that prophecy is coming true right before our eyes. Magog (Russia) has made treaties with Libya and Persia (Iran). Togarmah (Turkey), another Muslim nation, has already been involved in military maneuvers in the Mediterranean. If Israel attacks Iran's nuclear facilities, Iran has vowed to shut down the Straight of Hormuz, through which a lot of oil is shipped. I have read that it would stop up to 20% of the United States' daily consumption, which would lead to gasoline going up to around $20 dollars a barrel. In my opinion, this would give nations of the world an excuse to be upset with Israel, in a military way. This could set the world stage for many things, not excluding the coming Antichrist, and the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation.

Meanwhile, back here at home, I heard on the news last week, that Citicorp, the banking giant, just made a deal with the government. The government now owns a large portion of Citibank. And this past weekend, it was reported that AIG was in need of more bailout, so they too made a deal with the government, for the government to purchase $30 billion in stocks. A government owned banking system? There seems to be a pattern here. Interesting, in my opinion.

Things are happening very fast in our world. We are living in the last days, and Jesus Christ is coming soon! Very soon!!! (In my opinion)....

Does It Really Matter?

2009-02-15T22:38:00.005-05:00

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:1-5

I have been wondering all day, does it really matter, that we as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ really preach the word? I have been teaching the Bible for ten years now (not long in my book), and have seen a lot of people come and go, and sometimes I wonder, does it really matter? I see people on so-called Christian television barking like dogs and roaring like lions, and I don't see that anywhere in the Bible. I see men and women alike, in the name of Christ, begging for your money, and I think, "If God gave you that ministry in the first place, why do you have to beg?" I don't see that in the Bible either. I do see a lot of people teaching from the Bible, but not many teaching the Bible. And that has led us to the place where the Church is today, anemic and powerless, not making a difference in the world. Does it make a difference? Of course it makes a difference! The reason that Christian people vote for candidates who stand for everything that is in opposition to Christian beliefs, is because we don't know the Bible. We don't read the Bible, other than Sunday, and maybe Wednesday, and we are not teaching the Bible, or being taught the Bible. If we don't begin to study the Bible, and know what it says, we will soon be led, and are being led, down a path where the wolves are waiting to devour us.

What do you look for when looking for a church? The answer to that question alone will determine the depth of your walk. The first answer that should pop into your head is, do they teach the Bible. Do they teach the Word. Not from the Word. Not two verses from the Word and then tell feel-good stories, and give you self-help formulas that kind of relate to the verses. But do they teach the word. Do they read a verse or a passage and explain what it says and how it applies to our lives today?

Paul is admonishing Timothy in the passage above, to preach the word. Why? So he can be better, or think he is better than the group meeting down the street? No, of course not. Paul gives the answer. Because if we don't, we will invent various reasons for why we choose the church we do, and all of them are self-serving and prideful. If we are not grounded in the Word of God, then we will gather teachers that will tell us what we want to hear, and not what we need to hear. If you teach the Word, then you have to talk about sin, and sinners, and frankly, sin is not a popular topic to talk about, because it makes people uncomfortable. I'm surprised Paul didn't know that. Paul should know that if you don't have a happening youth ministry, or a dynamic children's ministry, then, well, you just are not going to pull the crowds. Or if you don't talk about such things as "How to feel good in such depressing times," or, "Living Positive In a Negative World," well Paul, your fellowship will be small. And we all know that small is not success.

Don't buy into such hogwash. Paul had had enough beatings with lashes and rods to know that talking about sin wasn't popular. But he never deterred from his message: Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Jesus never came to set up His kingdom here on earth. He came to die. And then He told us to do the same. For us to be saved, somebody had to die. Jesus did. And now, for us to live, we have to die as well. It is that living sacrifice thing that Paul talks about in Romans 12:1. As Alistair Begg says, "Where did we get a Christianity where Jesus does all the dying?" We have to die, to our self. But I have to tell you, it isn't easy, nor is it popular. Not in this feel-good society in which we live. We somehow have gotten the idea that the church exists to make us feel good about ourselves. We have forgotten, that as believers, we are the church.

If we don't get grounded in the word, then we allow the world to infiltrate the church. The Emerging or Emergent Church movement is lethal to the Church at large. It is a combination of Eastern mysticism and Roman Catholic iconism, couple with New Age, and we have allowed it to begin to creep into the church. If we as believers do not know the Bible, then all these "Christian mystics" seem like a good thing, and we fail to examine them more closely than we do and just accept them at face value, and then it is too late. Remember, a little leaven will leaven the whole loaf. And leaven is a type in the Bible for sin. You know, if you bake some brownies, and they are 98% pure, it will always be that 2% of arsenic in them that kills you. I think you get my point.

So, does it really matter if a church teaches the Word, or just teaches from the Word? Yes it does. It mattered so much to Paul that he wrote his son in the faith, Timothy, to make sure he did not fail in that area. If you attend a church that does not teach the Word of God, I am not telling you to leave, but you really ought to examine their statement of faith closely to see if it lines up with the Bible. If you can't tell, then find someone who can, and let them help you decipher it. It shouldn't matter primarily about children's ministry or youth ministry, although those are good things. It should be about the Word. Because teaching the Word is sound doctrine. Does it really matter? Of course it does. Shalom.

Who Are We?

2009-01-27T11:48:00.007-05:00

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21

I heard a snippet of a teaching on the radio the other day, and the Bible teacher was teaching on the tongue, and he made this statement that has stuck with me for a couple days: We have forgotten who we are. Now, as many people who know me understand, my short-term memory has some serious problems. For someone my age, I think that it is terrible. So I have to write everything down, or, you guessed it, I forget. But as I pondered the statement of "we have forgotten who we are," I think as believers in Jesus Christ, perhaps we too, have forgotten some things.
1. We have forgotten who is in control. In our verse today, the "He" in the phrase "For He" is none other than God Almighty. Big G. Creator of the Universe. Father in Heaven. I AM that I AM. It is "He" that set the whole thing in motion. He always was. He always is. And He always will be. He is eternal. Sometimes, we start looking at our surroundings and our circumstances, and all we see if the physical realities of the situations we are in, and we say, to ourselves, or even out loud, "Where are You, God?!" Fear not, oh Christian, God is in control. And even though it may not seem like it, He is working behind the scenes to bring about His will in our lives, whether we like it or not. When Jonah was in the belly of the great fish, which we often refer to as the whale, all that time that Jonah was there, the fish was moving toward the place that God intended. God was working, even though Jonah could not see. God is in control. He was then, and He is now.
2. We have forgotten the sacrifice made for us. It is hard for me, and I believe most of us, to comprehend being totally without sin. I don't just mean for a few seconds, or a few minutes, or even hours. I am talking about for our entire lives. Perfect. Jesus Christ lived on this earth just as we are living on this earth, and He knew no sin. But then again, He is God, right? Well, He did leave the perfect presence of the Most High, to take on flesh to do this deed. He is God. And He is 100% man. That is what blows our minds...well, some of your minds...the fact that Jesus was a man and didn't sin. But, as we all know, Jesus didn't drive. I think if He drove around on the streets and roads of this city, He would at least be tempted. But I digress. You get the point. Jesus was a man and He did not sin. He gave up the splendor of heaven and the perfect, awesome, glorious presence of God the Father, to become a man. On our own, in our flesh, it is easy to slip back into that old way of just "doing what comes natural," or as I put it, "flesh out." It is our default. We were born with it. But Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords left heaven to give us an example. No, we won't be perfect this side of heaven, but just knowing that He was gives me aspiration to hang on until He comes for me.
3. We have forgotten the price that was paid. Many Christian people, I believe, have forgotten that we are bought with a price. That there was actual blood shed, and someone had to die for us. We have forgotten that Jesus Christ paid with His life. "Oh yes, but He was God," some people might say. Yes that is true. But we have also forgotten that He was a man. Many times He referred to Himself as the Son of Man. That was to fulfill prophecy (see Daniel 7:13), but also, I believe, to remind us that we don't get to "cop out" by saying, "Yes but He was God," because He was also a man. He was tempted in all things, and yet did not sin. If He were not in the form of a man, He would not be tempted by fleshly things. Fleshly temptations have a hold on the flesh. That is why you can feel the pull of the flesh when you are tempted by this world, and the things of this world. Follow? We have forgotten that this Man died for us. To follow Christ, and the fellowship of His suffering, someone has to die. He did it for us, on the cross. Let us not forget that. He took upon Himself, our sin, so that we would not have to. He became sin for us. Why? So that we might become the righteousness of God, in Him. You and I, the Church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, are now the righteousness of Christ, because He took our sin upon Himself, so that we would be declared righteous before God, because we are found in Him. We are blood bought, paid for with a price, the only begotten Son of God. This is not "easy-believe-ism" here. Jesus Christ died for us. Now, to follow Him, we too, must die, to our self, and follow Him. We become a living sacrifice, as we place our lives on the altar every day, dying to self, and following Him. Jesus gave His body, and He gave His blood, literally, on the cross that day, so that you and I would not have to die twice, once physically and once spiritually. When He said, "It is finished," it truly is. There is not one more thing that needs to be done. Salvation, provided to us through the sacrifice He made for us, is a gift from God. We cannot do anything to earn it. We can never be "good enough" to earn it. We can only accept it and be thankful.
4. We have forgotten why we gather. We, as believers, have forgotten why we come together on Sunday mornings as part of a local body. Some think that it is because, well, we are just supposed to, that's all. But there is more to it than that. As a pastor, I have heard many excuses as reasons why people have left our fellowship. Some leave without saying a word, because they are mad at me or someone else in the fellowship. But some actually call me up and tell me that the reason they are leaving the church is because they are looking for a dynamic children's ministry. I think to myself, "Why not stay and help our children's ministry become dynamic?" Some tell me, "There is nothing there for the women to get plugged into," which is totally untrue (see previous excuse). Some tell me that there is not this, or there is not that, and all the time I am thinking, "What is the real reason why you are leaving?" Some tell me that it is too far to drive, or not far enough to drive (no, not really), or this reason or that reason. Some people tell me all kinds of things, but one thing they never tell me, is that we never teach the Word of God here. So I am amazed to find out some of the places that people "land" after they have left. Some land at churches where you don't even have to bring your Bible to church, let alone actually open it and study it. Some land at churches where there is an emphasis on positive confession and "name it/claim it" theology. My problem with all this is not that they go some place else. My problem is I wonder if it is really the Holy Spirit leading them to that church or this church, or is it an emphasis on the wrong thing. We, the Church, have gotten so consumer oriented, that we go to church not to encourage one another, not to come alongside another brother or sister; not to collectively lift up our hands and voices to corporately praise the Lord; not to study the Word, or to pray. We go to church for what it can do for us, what it can do for me. We go for the children's ministry, or the music, or the fish aquarium in the lobby, or it has all the bells and whistles like the church we used to know back home, instead of coming together, first of all, because the Word tells us to do so, but also to realize, that we, true believers in Jesus Christ, WE are the church, not some building, nor some ministry of the church. If a church isn't dynamic enough, a lot of times it isn't because of the pastor, but because the rest of the body is content to let the poor soul do all the work himself.

Please take this in the spirit in which it is written. I am not complaining about one single thing. I love my calling, I love the church, and I love the people whom God has brought to sit under my teaching of the Word. I just get baffled by the excuses. I find that because pastors in the Church have gotten away from the Word of God, we have created "hybrids" if you will. A friend of mine, another pastor, and I were talking about this subject. He used the word "freaks." People going to church for the wrong reasons, or not even knowing why they go to "church" on Sunday mornings. It should always be about Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul says that he determined not to know anything except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Jesus said that if He were lifted up, He would draw all people unto Himself. Let us then, lift up Jesus Christ. As a pastor, I don't teach anything that will drive you away, and I don't teach anything that will keep you in our fellowship. I just teach the Word of God. A church building can't save you. A body of believers can't save you. Only Jesus Christ can save your soul. So, beloved, let us be about lifting Him up, and let the other "stuff" fall away.

So, who are we? We are the Body of Christ. We are the Bride of Christ. We are blood bought. We are bought with a price. We are the righteousness of Christ. We are the hands and feet of our Lord, doing the kingdom's business until He comes. We are the local church, the representatives of Christ on this earth. We are His ambassadors. We are witnesses. We are salt. We are light. We are the Church (the building is not the church). Let us not forget who we are. Shalom.

The Move (And Other Thoughts)

2008-12-31T05:03:00.005-05:00

13"Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people." 14 And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 15 The he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth." 17 So the LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name."
Exodus 33:13-17

It is December 31, 2008, and we are on the brink of another new year. Jesus is coming back very, very soon. The times are pregnant with signs of His coming. And here we are, on this day, moving our local fellowship out of our building. I am so excited about that! At first, I never thought I would be, or even that I should be, considering the manner in which it transpired. But I can honestly say, what satan meant for evil, God meant for good, as Joseph did so long ago. This has been a time of tremendous growth in the lives of the believers who make up this fellowship. I see it everyday, in the way they rally together and talk about The Move, as I have termed it (I know, so original...). I hear it in how they are looking toward God, and not back over their shoulders at a building of mortar and stone and steel, and how their speech is seasoned with grace toward one another. The Move has been an instrument of growth. As the words of the pastor of the church who is renting our building said to me that first day he told me he was taking our building, "Can't you see the hand of God in this?" I can see it now. I couldn't then, but I can now. Back then, which wasn't that long ago, it was the wicked hand of the enemy wanting to destroy our Bible-teaching fellowship. Now it is the hand of God, moving us onward and upward to the higher calling which we have received from Him, allowing individuals in our body to grow in Him in a way they otherwise man not have.

I see growth in the way they pray for one another, bearing one another's burdens, and coming together to encourage one another and pray. Prayer has become an important part of our services, even before this happened, but I believe now we are seeing the fruits of our prayers and the importance of it. We, as a body, are seeking the face of God for wisdom, guidance, discernment (how he keeps answering that prayer!) and for His leading to where we will next be meeting.

A comment I received a few weeks ago about one of these blogs, said that this was my way of dying, and I guess, in a way, that is correct, but not how the writer put it. They wanted me to die. Period. But God has a way of turning evil around for good. I DO need to die. I need to die to self. We all do. We all need to die to our self. The thing about being a Christian, a true believer, is that somebody has to die. Most people don't want to do that, and I believe that is the plague in the North American church today. "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die." I die to self, seemingly moment by moment, as it wants to crawl off the altar. That is the trouble with living sacrifices. Paul said so, in so many words, when he said, "...I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).

So, The Move is nearly complete. Another chapter in ministry is about to be opened. It is very exciting. I just read a quote from Ray Comfort which said that he is seeing more people come to Christ, in his personal witnessing, in the last six months, than in the previous 35 years of ministry. That is so encouraging to me, because that is where we are headed as a fellowship: to have a passion for the presence of God, and to have a passion for the lost. Not church politics. Not buildings in which to meet. Not 'what's that church got that we ain't got.' Not making a better deal than you had. Not one-upsmanship. Simply, a passion for His presence and a passion for the lost. I am not saying our fellowship is better than any others. Certainly not. I am not saying we have arrived. Certainly not. But I am saying that our focus is and will continue to be, Jesus Christ, and out of that, a love for seeing people born into a kingdom...His kingdom. Maranatha! Shalom.

God's Tattoo

2008-11-16T23:12:00.003-05:00

" See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;" Isaiah 49:16

God has inscribed our names in the palms of His hands. The origin of the word for "inscribed" here, means to cut into stone or metal. It has the idea of permanence. God has placed our names in the palms of His hands permanently, much like the tattoos which we have today. But it isn't a reminder to God, for He needs no reminding of anything. It much more a sign of caring and ownership. We belong to Him. John 10:28 says, "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." We are there, permanently in the palm of His hands. And no one can snatch us out of His hands, just like no one can take a tattoo off of your arm. No one can reach out and grab you out of God's hand, like a purse-snatcher stealing a lady's handbag or purse. This won't be very long today, but just wanted you to know that God has a tattoo too! What does it look like? Do you have a mirror handy? Shalom.

The Lessening of the Sting

2008-11-10T22:46:00.005-05:00

"Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! 24 That they were engraved on a rock With an iron pen and lead, forever! 25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another."
Job 19:23-27

Wow. It occurred to me tonight for the very first time: The incredible pain that was inflicted upon Job. I have taught through Job, and yet, perhaps due to a few thousand years of looking back on it from the ease of my air conditioned office and desk chair, I have taught that Job lost everything, without realising the actual pain the man must have gone through. I cannot believe how I must have missed that fact. I mean, yes he lost all of his cattle. But what is a few cattle, right? Especially in this day and age. Less cow pies to step in for us city slickers. Yes, he lost all of his sheep. But again, they're sheep, for crying out loud, and they stink. Yes, he lost all of his camels. But what are a few head of camel in this day of automobiles and flying machines? Besides, aren't they stubborn animals and don't they spit?

He lost all of his possessions. It is the equivalent of us today, losing all of our life savings, the kids college funds, that summer home in the Smokies, our second and third cars, and our six figure job, all on the same day. Or, all of our horse farms and horses, all of the potential income. All of the insurance money. All of the bank accounts and safety deposit boxes. All our employees. Gone. Just like that.

I was asked today, as the rug was being pulled out from under me in a particular situation, "Don't you see the hand of God in this?" As I was struggling to get my head wrapped around what was happening to me, I'm not sure why my mind kept reaching out to Job through the pages of my Bible. Maybe it was the words, "I don't really know why you see yourself as a victim here" coming out of his mouth. Or the condescending tone in his voice. I sure hope he doesn't see Job as a "victim." I sure don't. I see now how much it must have hurt Job to hear that everything he was working for, and hoping for, was suddenly snatched away from him, and then, the pain and agony of learning all your children are dead. Ten of them. Not one left to carry on his traditions and inheritance. No parent should have to go through that kind of agony burying their child. Oh the enormity of the emotional pain and grief.

As I was pondering this situation, it occurred to me, that I had been as Pharisaical as my "friend" was to me as he was pulling that proverbial rug. I have plans and vision for ministry now, that the Lord has renewed within me, that I didn't have even a few months ago. The Holy Spirit is really present on Sunday morning, the website is finally looking like I envisioned it could (http://www.calvarychapelocala.com/), and small groups are coming the first of the year. "Wow, God, things are really start to happen finally." And then there goes the rug. So, as we look back on Job, and think to ourselves smugly, "Poor Job," as I have been guilty of doing, and I'm sure some of you have too, I thought to myself, "Don't you see the hand of God in this?" In the general sense, that all things pass through the hands of God, just as they did with Job, then yes, I can see the hand of God in this. But frankly, I am too much blinded by the pain right now, thank you very much. Job was too for a couple of chapters in his book.

I was going to title this writing, "Hand of God or Fist of Satan." Yes, God allowed those things to happen to Job, just as He allows things to happen to you and me. But Satan was the one who did those things to Job, not God. So maybe this is also a test, from the hand of Satan, not the hand of God. But my "friend" was having too much fun being condescending for me to say that to him. Admittedly, I probably reacted poorly, as he was telling me that he understood my reaction. (What?) And then the question, finally, through the hit-in-the-gut-with-a-baseball-bat feeling, materialized in my mind: Does knowing that the hand of God is in this, lessen the sting of the pain at all? And in my mind, and I am certain in Job's mind, the answer was and is, no it does not. Knowing that God is allowing something to happen to us does NOT lessen the sting of pain and grief. But let me tell you something about this, and I hope, first of all, that I can articulate it clearly, and second, that you can follow my articulation. What DOES lessen the sting of pain and grief, is not the knowledge that God is allowing it. Those words should never be used as comfort. What lessens the sting, is what Job said in our verses above: my painful circumstances, whatever they may be, does not alter the fact that my Redeemer lives, and that He will stand upon this earth someday very soon, and that even if my body is destroyed...destroyed....did you get that...it means dead....that even if I am dead, He will resurrect me so that in my flesh, I shall see God. I will look upon Him with my glorified body. John, in the New Testament, puts it like this: "Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). Job says you can write that on a rock!!! It will withstand the test of time, and the test of painful circumstances. Does knowing that God allows this, lessen the sting? No. But knowing that one day we are going to see Jesus, does lessen it, and, looking back, we will say, along with my college roommate, "It ain't nothin' but a can o' corn." Shalom.

Is Judgment Coming?

2008-11-08T08:02:00.005-05:00

"9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." 1 Samuel 8:9 NIV

"18When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day. 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." 1 Samuel 8:18-22 NIV

The Lord told the people that He would be their leader, their guide, their counselor, their government. But the people cried out, that they wanted to be like the other nations around them, and have a king reign over them, to be their leader, their guide, their counselor, their government. So they rejected God, and God gave them a king. He gave them what they wanted.

America...er...the United States of America now has what it has been clamoring for the last two years of presidential campaigns. He has given us a liberal "king" to rule over us. Now we can be like the rest of the world. An interesting thought for a nation founded on godly and biblical principles. Just like the children of Israel we are. We don't want to be set apart. We want to be just like the rest of the world, the rest of the nations around us. We don't want to be different.

This next president will probably be in the position of appointing a few Supreme Court justices. They will most likely be very liberal justices, because of the beliefs of the new president, who seems to be in favor of partial-birth abortions, homosexual marriage, high taxes, and big government. God has given us what we wanted.

But our job as a true believer, a blood-bought, born again Christian, is not to complain and bellyache, as we will hear some people doing in the coming years, as the "king" God has given us does what he promised he would do. Our job is to "speak evil of no one," and "pray for those God has placed in authority over us." We as Christians need to be on our knees before God, interceding for our nation, interceding for our government, interceding for the counsel to our "king," and interceding for the soul of our "king."

Hard times are coming for America. God willing, He will rapture us out of here before it gets too bad, but I cannot say that He will. It doesn't matter if He doesn't, because our focus is not to be on this life, but on our life in the next. Perhaps He will use these times to cause His people to get on our knees and again turn our hearts toward Him. He has told us that "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). Beloved, our land is in need of healing, because this past election has really divided our country on several levels. But know this: God is not surprised or stunned by the outcome. He allowed it to happen. He has given us our "king" to rule over us. Perhaps He has done this to allow us to turn back to Him from whence we have fallen. It is time for God's people to stop "playing church" and get real with God. There is a shaking going on, a judgment. And that shaking, that judgment begins with the house of God (see 1 Peter 4:17). Beloved, let us get serious about prayer and fasting, let us get serious about intercession. Let us get serious about our walk with our God. Let us humble ourselves and pray, and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. He promises us that then He will hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land. Let it be so. Amen.

Rod Ewing is the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Ocala.

Random Thoughts About Two Races

2008-11-06T05:58:00.007-05:00

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2

The campaigns are over, and the race to the White House is finished. The outcome has been settled. But as believers, the race in which we find ourselves is not over. Yes, the race to see who is president, vice-president, and many other political offices around the country have been decided on November 4th, 2008. But the race that counts most, is still going on, and we as believers, the blood-bought, born again followers of Jesus Christ, are still right in the midst of it. It is not for us to focus on nations, governments, wall street, or the interest rates and the housing market. Beloved, our focus is on Jesus Christ the Son of God. He is our strength. He is our portion. He is our daily bread. As David tells us in Psalm 18, He is our Rock, our stronghold. He is the horn of our salvation. He is our deliverer. He is our fortress. He is our shield.

Now is not the time for Christians to live in fear and trembling, but to get on our knees and cry out to God for our nation. Now is the time for true Christians to humble ourselves before God and pray for strength of endurance so that we may be able to finish the race, and that we may run to win the race that is set before us. We have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Let us focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Now that one race is over, it doesn't mean that we do nothing. The Word of God tells us that we are to pray for those who are in leadership over us, because God has set up the governments over us. We are to pray for those who lead us so that we can live in peace. So let us remember where our focus lies, and not let our surroundings and our circumstances get us "out of focus." Satan, our enemy, would like nothing better, than for us to get our eyes off of Jesus, and onto the storm - the wind and the waves or our circumstances - around us.

I have surprised myself at how optimistic I am, in spite of my own political views and the disappointments I have suffered this week. God is still on the throne. God is in control. That gives me so much peace that I can't begin to tell you. The return of Jesus is so near that I can feel it, can't you? He is just waiting on the word from the Father, and we will be out of here, on our way to meet Him in the air. As our world seemingly is spinning and spiraling down and down, further into the abyss, look up my child, look up! Jesus is returning very, very soon! Yes, one of the two races is over, but the other one is ongoing until that day when Jesus comes, so let us not grow weary in doing good. Let us be found faithful when He returns. Let us be about the business of the kingdom. Beloved, now is not the time to draw back. Now is the time to press on with a fervor and excitement that we serve a risen King, and He is returning soon. Many things have transpired in our nation over the last several years, and our world seems to be out of control. But it is no surprise to God. He knows what He is doing, and as I said, He is the One who is really in control.

It is coming down to this: you are either in or you are out, you believe or not believe, you follow Christ or you don't. The line in the sand is becoming more defined as the days, weeks, and years go by. We live in a time of untold and unparalleled prophecy. We live in an exciting time for ministry, when our Bible is coming true right before our eyes. Pray for Israel and their leaders, I am sure they are feeling abandoned in the Middle East. And keep your eyes on the eastern sky, because beloved, "when you see these things, lift up your head, your redemption draws near." Shalom.

Rod Ewing is the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Ocala.

Caught Up In The Race

2008-10-17T05:46:00.005-04:00

"Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men."
Titus 3:1-2

It has been some time since I have written in this "Daily Devotional," so I thought it was about time to write again. God has been showing me some things that I think are worth sharing, especially during these troubled times. I have had the privilege to be in a Bible study with some guys that I admire and respect greatly, when it comes to their Bible teaching, and the Lord has used them to speak to me, through His Word.

Paul is writing here to Titus, a young pastor as was Timothy, and is the focus of this personal letter which bears his name. Here, Paul is telling Titus to remind the people to whom he is the pastor, of several things. The first thing we are to be reminded of is to be subject to rulers and authorities. These are not spiritual rulers and authorities Paul is talking about, but rather the rulers and the authorities that are over us civilly, the government which is over us. We have a duty as Christians, to be the best citizens of the land. Next, Paul reminds us that we are to obey, and to be ready for every good work. This means that we are to obey the laws of the land, and if there is opportunity to serve, we should be ready to do that.

The next phrase, however, is the focus of my writing today. We as believers in Jesus Christ, are to speak evil of no one. Period. It doesn't say, "speak evil of no one unless they line up with your political party affiliation." No. It says simply, "speak evil of no one." This really convicted me when I read it again, and surprised me that I missed it the first twenty times I had read it. It does not matter where you line up in this political race for the president. We are to speak evil of no one, even if the rest of the world is telling lies and spreading falsehoods about your favorite candidate. It is so easy for us to get caught up in the rhetoric and react to the dialogue and the news stories and the media bias. But again, we are to speak evil of no one. I was tempted to even this morning, when I turned on my computer to find a news story that was reporting on "Joe the Plumber" referred to in the last debate between presidential candidates. I thought to myself, "good grief, you people have waaaaaaaaaaaay too much time on your hands." But the Lord caught me, and reminded me that as a Christian, a believer in Jesus Christ, I am to speak evil of no one, so after my thinking that some news reporters are overpaid, I let it go, because if I began to dwell on it, I again would find myself caught up in the race.

So beloved, remember that when Jesus walked this earth, He wasn't worried about who was Caesar of the Roman Empire. He was concerned about ministering to people. And that is what I believe He wants for you and me. Should I do my duty as a citizen of this country and go vote? You bet I should! But I am not going to be as concerned for who wins and get all caught up in it, like I could, because of two things: 1. God is in control of everything, and this is His timetable He is working out, and 2. The more important thing is ministering to my neighbor who might not have a clue about what is going on these days. We are living in perilous times, Paul says, times that are spiraling down into the abyss and there is no way out. We ARE living in the last days. Jesus is coming very soon, and we need to be witnessing and ministering to our neighbor, to make sure they know it, instead of being caught up in the race to the White House. Shalom.

Rod Ewing is the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Ocala.

Increasing and Decreasing (Killing My Old Man - Again)

2008-08-28T20:30:00.008-04:00

"After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!' 27 John answered and said, 'A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, "I am not the Christ," but "I have been sent before Him." 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. he who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all tings into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
John 3:22-36

This is a long passage, but most of it is John the Baptist replying to his disciples who come to him and tell him that Jesus is "over yonder" baptizing too. Now, this isn't such a news flash to John as his disciples thought that it would. He isn't alarmed at all. Yet he explains to them, that Jesus' testimony is true. He is the Messiah, the Christ. So John tells his disciples, that Jesus must increase in pre-eminence, and that he, John, must decrease in importance. Beloved, that is the way we must live. Jesus must become more and more in our lives, and we must become less and less. Do we become a dish rag, or a door mat? No. We begin to put less of our desires first, and more of Jesus' desires first. We must die to ourselves. The problem is, we don't want to die. We want to hang on to what is ours. We want to be the mr. or ms. me gimme mine of our universe, which centers around us. But for us to walk the Christian walk in such a way that others will be won, and others will know we are Christians other than in name only, somebody has to die. And that somebody is us. ME! YOU! I have to die to myself. You have to die to yourself. You see, I think where we get off on the wrong foot, is we intellectually understand that Jesus' kingdom is not like this world in which we live. But when we actually try to live it out, well..... Let me put it like this: We don't mind being called a slave or a servant, until someone actually starts treating us like one. Ohhhh then they better watch out. I could get my Christian dander in an uproar! And while that is taking place, Satan sneaks in and hits right between the rose colored glasses, and knocks us out. Takes us down. Removes us from the game. It is all about dying. Becoming less of us, and more of Him. It is like two gunslingers standing on the opposite ends of the main street made of dirt in this western town. They are eyeballing each other. And as soon as they start walking toward each other, you know that with the ringing of those spurs, someone is going to die today. Beloved, let that someone be you. Let that someone be me. We will never walk the Christian walk like Jesus wants us to, if we never die. Forgiveness? Somebody has to die. Mercy? Somebody has to die. Beloved, let this sink into our hearts: He must increase, and I must decrease. Shalom.

Rod Ewing is the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Ocala.

It All Started With My Birthday

2008-07-16T12:26:00.009-04:00

It all started with my birthday. My actual birth day. The day I was born. Ever think about that day? For some of us, it is so long ago. For others of us, it was just around the corner, almost like yesterday. I might not be like some of you out there who just say that "Oh, it's just another day." I like to celebrate my life. The day I was born. Now, I know some of you reading this might say, "This guy is off his rocker." And even though you might be right to some degree, just hang in there with me and let me finish. The day that each and every one of us was born is a special day. At the very least it should be special to you, if no one else. I mean, think about it. If you didn't have a birthday, you wouldn't be here. I know that sounds simplistic, but too often we don't stop and think about that. What if we had never been born? George Bailey found out in the movie "It's A Wonderful Life." We just don't have a clear idea how many people we touch with our lives on a daily basis. I have had some dark times in my life, where I really wasn't sure my life mattered, to me or to others. But then I think of the influence that each of us has on at least one person, but usually more, in our lives, it makes things at worst case tolerable and best case an adventure.

Yes I am aware that the format for this blog changed a bit today, but I had MY birthday yesterday. So, even though those around me weren't that thrilled about acknowledging the fact that I was born, I had my own little party within my heart all day. I just smiled all day, and was very grateful to God that I had been born, and that I have lived my life for...a number of years. Made mistakes? You bet. Want to go back and change somethings? Absolutely. Can I possibly do that? Not a chance. I try to stress to my children as they get older the importance and the impact of the decisions they are making now, and how they are far reaching, to say the least. What about all those words we have said out of anger? Out of hurt? What about those moronic decisions we made to use that person in our past? I was reading a fantasy novel, and the scene was these large black bats taking bites out of the body of the main character. I thought to myself, "Regardless of how fantastic fiction can be, it 'ain't nothin' compared to the real thing, baby." I have had people backbite and back stab for as long as I have been a pastor, and actually, I think I would rather have the physical one because it will heal more quickly. I got a birthday card from someone who doesn't know me that well but thinks they do, and it said some cursory things about not wanting me to get caught up in materialism so all they got me was the card. Wow. Here I am celebrating my life and they are telling me how cheap they are and how little they think about me. Real life really IS stranger than fiction...at least AS strange.

So here I am, the day after my birthday. Yes, it all passed just like any other day. But at least for one day, one moment, it made me stop and reflect on some things, and on the graciousness of God. And the fact that there is at least one person in the universe who loves and cares for me. And that is a good thing.

Rod Ewing is the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Ocala.

Nick At Night Part II

2008-07-10T07:12:00.003-04:00

"Nicodemus answered and said to Him, 'How can these things be?' 10 Jesus answered and said to him, 'Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen; and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.'"
John 3:9-17

After telling Nicodemus that he must be born again, Nicodemus asks Jesus how a man can be born a second time, and asks Him how a man can enter his mother's womb a second time and be born. Jesus tells Nicodemus that this "second birth" is not of flesh but of the Spirit. It is our spirit that is reborn. The term "born again" is precisely this: a person is born once, physically when they are born out of their mother's womb. We are "born again" when our spirit is reborn through the Holy Spirit, by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God. Nicodemus was still thinking in terms of the physical, and did not seem to comprehend it (but eventually he does...gives ME hope...), as you can tell by the questions he asks. But I still commend him for asking the questions. Jesus replies to Nicodemus, and I will put this in my vernacular, "Man, you are a teacher of religion at the University of Israel, and you don't understand these things?" And then in today's passage, when Nick asks Jesus "How can these things be?" in other words, "How is this possible?" Jesus says, "Man I am standing right in front of you and telling you the truth...but if I tell you things about the physical world and you don't believe, how are you going to believe if I tell you things of heaven, spiritual things?" And Jesus tells Nicodemus of His crucifixion, His death, and His resurrection. That is what that reference to Moses lifting up the serpent is.

In the book of Numbers, in chapter 21, we find the story of the people of Israel on their way to the Promised Land. They are being led by Moses. And they are going around the land of Edom, since the king would not let them pass through. But on that long journey, they begin to murmur and complain against God, and against Moses. This could be interpreted, that they began to complain about Moses, and in so doing, were complaining against God. "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt? To let us die? There is no food nor bread, and we can't stand this worthless bread." They were speaking of the manna that the Lord miraculously supplied to them from heaven every day. So God caused serpents to come among them and bite them and they would die. But God told Moses to make a serpent and put it on a pole, and whoever looks upon it will live. It is a picture of the crucifixion of Christ. Nicodemus understood the picture. He was a religious teacher of the land.

Beloved, as we go through this day, let us look upon the One who was raised up so that we may look upon Him and live! Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross for your sins and for my sins; for the sins of the world. Don't let the minor things that bite and snap at our heals discourage us and get us down. Jesus says that whoever...doesn't matter who you are or what you have done, or where you have been, if you look upon Him, and believes in Him, you will not perish eternally, but will have eternal life. Because God didn't send Jesus here to condemn the world. But that the world through Him would be saved. Jesus came to save us. We cannot save ourselves. Oprah cannot save us. Only Jesus can save us. Jesus is the way to heaven. Nicodemus came to Jesus to find out for himself how he could inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus told him to believe in Him, to believe in the work that He would be doing on the cross: healing those bitten by sin and this world. Shalom.

Nick At Night

2008-07-04T07:01:00.003-04:00

"There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.' 3 Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' 4 Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?' 5 Jesus answer, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I say to you, "You must be born again." 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.'"
John 3:1-8

A leader, a ruler, a religious leader of the Jews, a Pharisee, comes to see Jesus at night, to inquire of Jesus, about what His purpose is, and to find out for himself what he must do personally to inherit the kingdom of God. I believe that Nicodemus should be commended for his willing to come to Jesus himself to find out the truth. What seems to bother most, is that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, because he didn't want to be found out. Although it is not the major issue here, in my humble opinion, but nevertheless it remains an issue. It seems to me, that people for all time, as far back as Nicodemus until where we are today, have wanted a gospel, a way to heaven, that doesn't cost them anything; a gospel that doesn't require people to leave the comfort of the world they know, to follow Jesus Christ. Please don't get me wrong. I am not advocating that we all grab a bullhorn and head for the nearest busy intersection and start condemning all the drivers and passengers in the cars that pass. I heard a quote from Alistair Begg, which says, "Where did we get a Christianity where Jesus does all the dying? Where did we get a Christianity where Jesus is the only one who bears a cross? Where did we get a Christianity where Jesus is the only one who wears a crown? Certainly not from the New Testament." And that is so true. We here in North American Christianity try to live a sacrificial life for Jesus, but we have forgotten one thing: the sacrifice. The apostle Paul tells us that we are the sacrifice (Romans 12:1). As I read books about the latest "wind" that is blowing through the church, the Emergent Church, or the emerging church (which for this discussion we will consider synonymous, although we acknowledge that there are some differences), I am further convinced that we live in the age of 2 Timothy 4:3-4, where people cannot endure sound doctrine, but gather to teachers who preach what their itching ears want to hear. I have encountered this many times in the short time I have been a pastor. People not wanting to be open to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, but rather wanting not to do the difficult thing. I believe there is a term for it. It is called "avoidance." Choose to do the easy thing, even if it isn't right, rather than do the right thing, which might be difficult and require something from me. As I hear reports about and from believers around the globe, in other nations and lands, I am not sure if it is a characteristic of human beings, or just North American Christians. There is only one way to heaven. And it is by and through the blood of Jesus Christ.

What I believe to be commendable in this episode we are studying, is that Nicodemus came to investigate the claims for himself. He didn't rely on someone else to tell him about it. He investigated it himself. And he went right to the source (is it sacrilege to say "horse's mouth?" Forgive me, Lord, for even thinking that). And that is what we must do. We must pick up that Bible from the bookshelf or wherever the last place we can remember seeing it, dust it off - and here comes the hard part - open it and begin reading it. We need to get to know who Jesus really is and learn more about Him, and His Word. I believe that there is a severe shortage in the church today, of knowledge of the Word. I don't know if this is still the way that bank tellers are trained to spot counterfeit dollar bills anymore, but they used to study and study and study the real thing. They were so familiar with the real thing, that when something other than the real thing came by, it stood out to them. That is the way we need to be with the Word. We need to be so familiar with the Word, that when the false teaching comes along, or someone tries to make a theology by taking a verse out of context, we will know it. Beloved, Nicodemus searched out the truth for himself. Let us do the same thing. Amen? Amen.

The Heart Of The Matter

2008-06-24T10:20:00.005-04:00

"Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man."
John 2:23-25

I have been trying to avoid talking (typing) about something that I see taking place "out there" in the church at large, but I have been confronted with it several times this week, and oddly enough, several times it has come up in the conversations I have been having, brought up by others and not myself. It is the "revival" that has been happening in Lakeland, Florida. Living in Florida myself, I am actually surprised that I have not heard more about it, nor have I been swept up in the ever-increasing flood of "talk" about it that seems to be circulating. But in the last week, the Lakeland "happening" has been brought to the forefront so many times that I cannot ignore speaking about it any longer. For the sake of this discussion, I will refer to what is happening in Lakeland as a revival, but will elaborate further in this article.

First of all, let me say that up until this point, I had not heard much about or from Todd Bentley, the man who seems to be "leading" the "revival." I have watched some YouTube footage of him, and at first glance, he seems to come across as almost every other "faith healer" I have seen out there. He goes down the line, as people have come up to the "healing line," and he has a brief discussion with them about what he prophesies to be their particular ailment or situation, and then places his hand on their forehead, and pushes them back as they are "slain" in the Spirit. I did notice that the ones who were not "slain" right away, he returned to, to ensure their "slain" status I guess, as he gave them an extra "dose" of the good old Holy Ghost. Now, I write this, not to poke fun or be sacrilegious, but to point out some things that I have noticed, or have been brought to my attention. I come from the theological perspective where I believe that the Holy Spirit still works today, giving gifts of healing, and tongues and all the rest, so I am not a legalist on a vendetta here. But what I want to bring to our attention is the concern of a couple of things....people flocking to this "happening" because of the signs, and the accuracy of the "prophecy" of Mr. Bentley himself.

In this passage that we are looking at today, from John 2, Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Passover, during the feast, and He was performing signs, miracles, and people were beginning to flock to Him. But Jesus refused to "commit Himself to them" because He knew what was in their hearts. They weren't there because of who HE was. They were there because of the signs that He performed, the miracles, the healings. Jesus Himself said, in Matthew 24:24, "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." What concerns me most about "the happening" in Lakeland, and other events like it, is that people are drawn there because of the so-called "signs" and not check out what is happening experientially against God's Word to see if it checks out. The apostle Paul told the people of Berea to check out even what he was saying to be sure that it lines up with what God says. One of the reasons we have false revivals is that we as the Body of Christ, the Church, have fallen away from reading and studying our Bibles. We are in error because we don't know the Scriptures. We don't read them, we don't study them, we don't apply them. But that is for another discussion. Regardless, we must seek wise counsel from our pastor or others whom we trust before following the latest celebrity preacher around like sheep.

If you watch Mr. Bentley closely, and listen to him "prophesy" over people as he goes through the "healing line," you will notice that a large amount of the time he is wrong as he speaks out over their life. In Deuteronomy 13:1-3 it says, "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,2 "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'; which you have not known; 'and let us serve them,'3 "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." So let me ask you this question: Are we running after Mr. Bentley and others like him because we think we need a sign, and he is providing one, or have we checked him and his works against the Bible, God's Word, and found all to be true and to line up? Beware, beloved, because in the last days there will come wolves dressed in sheep's clothing among us, to devour us. Let us beware. In the June 28/July 5, 2008 issue of World magazine, there is an article on Todd Bentley, called "Same old scam?" by Rusty Leonard and Warren Cole Smith (p. 81). In the article, it points out that the collection of the offering at these meetings can take "as long as 30 minutes." In the insert in the article, "Smelling A Scam," there are four points about telling whether or not it is a scam. Number 2 on the list is, "Is there an emphasis on money?" I have been in a lot of churches, and have never seen it take 30 minutes to take an offering. Even in large stadium events where the crowd is twice that as Mr. Bentley's. It has never take 30 minutes to pass a bucket from one end of a row to another and have several men collect them at the other end. So what am I saying? I am concerned that if this article is true, and I have no reason to doubt that it isn't, then there seems to be some emphasis on money here in Lakeland. Get the article. Read it for yourself.

I will not be attending "the happening" in Lakeland, nor watching Mr. Bentley on television (God TV or any other). I guess my critics will have a good time with that, and that's okay. I don't have to jump off a building to know that sudden stop at the bottom is painful. And I don't need to go to Lakeland to know what a false prophet looks and sounds like. Jesus didn't commit Himself to some of those who came after Him, because He knew what was in their heart, that they weren't commited to Him but just followed the signs. Beloved, it is truly a heart issue here. Don't be misled. Check out what goes on out there in the church against what is in the Scriptures. If it doesn't line up, then cast it off. We need to be more discerning about things like this. Shalom.

Cleaning House

2008-06-23T05:41:00.004-04:00

"Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, 'Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!' 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.' 18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, 'What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?' 19 Jesus answered and said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' 20 Then the Jews said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?' 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. "

To set the story, Jesus comes to Jerusalem at the time of Passover. One of the first places He goes to visit is the temple. When He walks in, He sees there are people selling sheep, selling oxen, selling doves, and tables for exchanging money, The religious leaders of the day were using this as an opportunity to line their own pockets. When people brought oxen and sheep and doves to the temple for sacrifice, they would usually be found unfit for sacrifice because of some microscopic blemish. But the people were instructed that they could buy a "pre-approved" animal out in the courtyard. These were sold at exorbitant prices. The same with the money changers. When the people came to pay their temple tax, their money was declared no good because of the image of Caesar on the coins, but were instructed that they could exchange it for shekels in the courtyard. And the money changers would charge exorbitant fees. When Jesus comes into the temple, He sees that the people were being robbed and ripped off in the very place where they should be introduced to the True and Living God.

This seems to be happening, sad to say, across the Church today. But instead of sheep, oxen, and money changers, we have books, seminars on tape/CD/DVD, and podcasts on MP3. All designed to take your money, and always justified with "we are helping people." We have allowed the marketplace to come into our churches, and that is one of the things that Jesus demonstrates here: it is not to be. I personally made the mistake of allowing ladies in our church to talk to other ladies and invite/pressure them into hosting parties in their homes so that they could sample/buy whatever was being sold, with the exchange taking place at the church. This is one of the tragic mistakes of my career. It should not happen in our churches. Commerce should take place outside the walls of the church. Am I saying that a church should not have a bookstore? I am not saying that at all. Some of the finest bookstores I have ever been in are located in some of the churches I have attended. I am saying that daily commerce should take place somewhere else. The buying and selling of items for your kitchen or to decorate your home should be done outside of the church meetings and fellowship.

There was another feast that was linked to Passover, but was seven days later. It was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, where the Jews would scour their homes to make sure there wasn't any leaven present in their homes. They searched every corner, every cupboard, every cooking utensil to make sure not a trace of leaven existed. Leaven in the Bible represents sin. That is exactly what Jesus was doing here, as He cleanses His Father's house of the evil and sin that existed there. And beloved, that is what we must do with our own lives. In my life, in your life, we must clean it up from the leaven. We must look in every "nook and cranny" of our lives, and make sure there is not even a trace of leaven to be found, because that will give our enemy, the devil, a foothold in our lives.

"Oh come on now, this is 2008. Are you saying the devil will infiltrate our lives?" Beloved, we have been called to be separated from this world. Not weird or anything, like the dudes on the street corners with bullhorns, yelling at people to be saved (I wondered aloud about how many people they had converted that way as I looked around and saw all the windows going up in the other cars). We are called to separation from this world. Sad to say, to some that means weirdness. To me it means live in this life like there is no tomorrow and store up treasures in heaven, because that is really where my home is. I cannot let myself get too attached to this world and the things (and people) in it. But if I don't clean out the leaven in my house, my daily walk is not as meaningful as it could be, and not as impacting as it should be. Beloved, it is time to clean house; our own. Amen? Amen. Shalom.

Water To Wine

2008-06-13T08:04:00.003-04:00

"On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, 'They have no wine.' 4 Jesus said to her, 'Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.' 5 His mother said to the servants, 'Whatever He says to do, do it.' 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, 'Fill the waterpots with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, 'Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.' And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, 'Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!' 11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."
John 2:1-11 NKJV

What is happening here is pretty obvious to the reader. There is a wedding in the little town of Cana, located in Galilee, and Jesus and His disciples are invited, as well as His mother. Now, I can sense all you Catholics out there start salivating, because Jesus' mother Mary is there. Well, fret not (salivate not?) because it was not Mary who set it up. It wasn't Mary who performed the miracle. Her biggest role in this miracle was to tell the servants to do what Jesus instructed them to do. Since they are servants, they probably would have done that anyway. Go figure. Anyway, they run out of wine at the wedding, and Mary comes to Jesus and tells Him this. And He asks her why she is telling Him, because His time to come on the scene publicly had not yet arrived. Now, it doesn't tell us in the narrative of the text, but I kinda think Jesus was hanging out with the servants in the back of the room, or off in another room, and that is why He had to be told there was no more wine. Just my own personal opinion. Nevertheless, Jesus' mother came and told Him they were out of wine. Now there were six big water pots there that held twenty to thirty gallons of water each. That is a lot of water. So Jesus instructs the servants to fill the water pots to the brim with water. They do it. And then He instructs them to draw some out and take it to the master of the wedding feast. And it is the best wine that they have had at the wedding. It was customary that the best wine would be put out first, and as the guests drank and got a little buzz on, then they wouldn't notice that they not-so-good wine had been brought out as the evening wore on. So the master of the wedding feast was impressed at this deviation from custom.

Beloved, I think one of the messages that this passage has for us is this. You and I are the water pots. We are the jars of clay, that are cracked, that leak, that the Lord takes and picks us up and fixes us, and stops us from leaking. Our youth leader/young adult leader told me the other day, that he was talking to his group about how you stop a cracked pot from leaking. You know how? (Glad you asked) You immerse it. That is what God wants for us. To be immersed in Him and His Word. To be so totally filled up and surrounded by Him and His Word, that His Holy Spirit just flows out from us and through us. We are just covered by Him, both inside and out. Now that is not part of this text, so I guess you get that at no extra charge. But we are the earthen vessels. And as we are filled to the brim with the water of the Word, the New Wine of the Holy Spirit changes us into vessels of honor, because we are now the container of the best wine in the house! The Holy Spirit of God! And it doesn't matter where you are in life, it is never too late, and you have never gone too far to turn around and allow the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out. Beloved, today is the day to leave your nets, meaning, to stop what it is in your life that has you so occupied that that is all you are focused on, leave your nets and follow Him. Follow Jesus Christ the Son of God, and you might end up at a wedding, filled with the best wine in the house! This day, be immersed! Shalom, shalom.

The Calling

2008-06-12T07:35:00.003-04:00

"The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Phillip and said to him, 'Follow Me.' 44 Now Phillip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Phillip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' 46 And Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Phillip said to him, 'Come and see.' 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!' 48 Nathanael said to Him, 'How do You know me?' Jesus answered and said to him, ' Before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.' 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!' 50 Jesus answered and said to him, 'Because I said to you, "I saw you under the fig tree," do you believe? You will see greater things than these.' 51 And He said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.'"

Admittedly, the title of this blog sounds more like a third-rate horror flick than a devotional about Jesus Christ. However, that does not discount the importance of what the Word has to say to us today. The very next day, after calling Andrew and Peter (and other gospels include James and John on this day), Jesus goes to Galilee, and found Phillip. But what Jesus says to Phillip, and what He says to you and to me, are the most important words for a believer. Jesus said to Phillip just two words: Follow Me. Now what is interesting to note here, what is most important to note here, is what Jesus didn't say. Jesus didn't say, "Follow the ministry of so-and-so." He didn't say, "Make sure you go to that church over there, or that church over here." He said, "Follow Me."

That is a word for all believers today. We need to follow Jesus. Not the caricature of what some churches have made Him out to be. We need to study the Bible and see who Jesus really was, and is. Jesus wants us to follow Him, not some doctrinal statement of some church. If your church says you need "Jesus and...." then perhaps you need a new church. That is what the Judaizers were telling the Philippians at the church in Philippi. Jesus was good, but they also needed the law of Moses, in this case, circumcision, to be true followers of Christ. Not so. Jesus didn't call His disciples to some statement of faith or doctrinal statement of some church. Those are made by man, in the traditions of man. Jesus wants us to follow Him. That is our calling. That is our purpose. That is our mission. Now, having said all that, I am not saying that statements of faith or doctrinal statements are wrong. They identify certain specifics about a particular church. But they are the basis of our faith.

Beloved, Jesus knows each and every one of us, just as He "saw" Nathanael under the fig tree, even before Phillip came and got him. And He sees each one of us, and loves us, and calls us, not to a church or a creed, but to Himself. Shalom.

The First Disciples

2008-06-10T05:55:00.003-04:00

"Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!' 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 The Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, 'What do you seek?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi' (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), 'where are You staying?' 39 He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, 'You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas' (which is translated, A Stone)."

This is the calling of the first disciples of Jesus. John the Baptist had disciples that were following him, but when they heard him call Jesus the Lamb of God, they knew that Jesus was the Messiah, and they left following John, to go follow Jesus. Now, the first thing I think of when I realize what is happening here, is, "I'm glad it is John and Jesus, and not me and one of MY friends." Because, if I had been doing what John the Baptist was doing, and getting some followers, my pride would probably begin to get all puffed up, so that when they left me to follow one of my friends, I would get extremely jealous. We get that way as humans, don't we? We get all wrapped up in what we are doing, and begin to view that in a way that overstates the importance of it. Jesus didn't "need" John the Baptist as an "advance man." John came to fulfill the Scripture prophecies. Jesus could have used television and billboards and email and websites to promote Himself (if they had been invented back then). But get this. He used a relative. Now, most people have at least one family member...well, enough said. You get the point. But when His cousin, John the Baptist, saw Jesus, he acknowledged Him by calling Him the Lamb of God, which was the purpose of His ministry here on earth. Jesus was going to become the sacrificial Lamb of God, to take your sin and my sin upon Himself. He was going to die so that you and I wouldn't have to. And when John said that, two of his disciples realized what he was saying, and left to follow Jesus.

When Jesus realizes He is being followed, He turns to them to ask them if they know exactly what they are doing. "What do you seek?" He asks them. I believe that this surprised them, so they asked Him their own question. I believe that they just didn't know how to articulate what was deep in their hearts: "We seek YOU." That was what was on their hearts, but they were caught off-guard by His question, so they asked, "Where are You staying?" Beloved, let me ask you: What do you seek? Is it a wife? A husband? That promotion? More money? We look for fulfillment in life in all different kinds of places and people, when all our fulfillment is not places and people, but a Person, the Person of Jesus Christ. Andrew and his friend realized this. They spent the day with Jesus, and Andrew goes and finds his brother Simon, whom we know in the Bible as Peter. When Jesus sees Simon, whose name means "shifting sand," Jesus changes His name. He tells him, "You were once known as Shifting Sand, but now you are going to be known as A Stone." He changes his name from Simon to Cephas. Cephas is Aramaic. When the Bible was translated into Greek, Cephas became petros, or Peter.

Beloved, when we come to Christ, it tells us in the Bible that He gives us a new name that only He knows. He loves us so much He gives us a new name unique to us. Something like the pet names we would give a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. He changed Peter's name from something mediocre, like "shifting sand," to something firm and stable, like "a rock." It was an indication of what He was going to do in and through Peter's life. My friend, what is He going to do through YOUR life? Believe in Him. Trust in Him today. Allow Him to live through you, and allow you to touch your world for Him. Shalom.

The One Who Is After Is Before

2008-06-06T11:41:00.007-04:00

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' 30 'This He of whom I said, "After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me." 31 'I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.' 32 And John bore witness, saying, ' I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 'I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." 34 'And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.'"
John 1:29-34

Just imagine the scene. John the Baptist is there at the Jordan River, baptizing people unto repentance for their sins. The religious leaders of the day have sent messengers to him, to inquire if he is the Messiah that has been prophesied about. I can picture John almost chuckling under his breath, thinking that the religious should be paying more attention. He answers them by saying that, no, the one who came after him and was before him (is John toying with them by this answer?) is the one whom he is unworthy to untie his sandal strap. And then it happens. He looks up, and there He is! Jesus is coming toward him!

Jesus is coming toward His cousin, John the Baptist. And John is so overcome, that he tells those there, whoever who will listen, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." And those words have significance for you and me in 2008, right where you live. Because you see, we are all sinners, and John was pointing out that we have a hope. Jesus is the Sacrificial Lamb, who provides the atoning sacrifice for our sins-yours, mine, the whole world. And John was pointing out to those around him, that, "There He is! HE is the Messiah! I saw the Spirit of God descend upon Him like a dove (so when you put those little doves on your car point them downward...)! And then John gives the most remarkable statement. He tells everyone that Jesus is the Son of God! That He is the one who will baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit. Had they even HEARD of the Holy Spirit prior to this time? Glad you asked. The answer is a resounding "Yes!" The prophets in the Old Testament were filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and John was the last of the Old Testament prophets.

Beloved, you and I have the best opportunity in the world. We, as sinners, get to trade all of that junk in our life, the sin and the bondage to it that we experience, and trade it in for a life of freedom in Christ Jesus, all because He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. So we don't have to run around in bondage to this world and the world system to which the enemy tries to convince us we are slaves. So take heart. John the Baptist recognized Him, and so can you and me. All we have to do is get to know Him through His Word. Get into His Word and let His Word get into you! Shalom!

The Witness

2008-06-03T09:43:00.003-04:00

"John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, 'This was He of whom I said, "He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me."' 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. 19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?' 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, 'I am not the Christ.' 21 And they asked him, 'What then? Are you Elijah?' He said, ' I am not.' 'Are you the Prophet?' And he answered, 'No.' 22 Then they said to him, 'Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?' 23 H said: 'I am "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord," as the prophet Isaiah said.' 24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, 'Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?' 26 John answered them saying, 'I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.' 28 These things were done in Bethany, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing."
John 1:15-28

In chronological years, John the Baptist was 6 months older than Jesus. But Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM," (John 8:58). So John was referring here in verse 15, to the eternal nature of his cousin, who was actually, chronologically 6 months younger. John was there at the Jordan River, baptizing people and declaring that the One coming after him was the Messiah. There he was, this strange man, declaring that there was One who was coming and He would be their Messiah. And John was declaring, that in Him, we have received grace for grace. In other words, we will receive the continual grace of God, and we can never exhaust the grace of God, if we are willing to totally receive and "embrace" the Person of Jesus Christ. Just think about that, and what that means. If we can, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, embrace the person of Jesus Christ in our lives, we receive the continual grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

When John appeared on the scene, baptizing there at the Jordan River, the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees, thought he was the Christ (Messiah), so they sent priests and Levites out to inquire of him if he was or not. What is tragic to me about that is, that they were so caught up in their "religion" that they didn't even know if this was their own Messiah or not, because they weren't looking for Him. They were more caught up in "keeping the rules" that they weren't looking for His coming. You know beloved, that is the way it is today. We sometimes get so caught up in "keeping the rules," that we forget to look for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. And He is coming very soon. Just read the headline of your local paper. Jesus is coming soon. Let us not be so caught up in the religion in our lives, that we forget to be looking for Him.

And let us listen to the John the Baptists in our lives telling us that He is coming. They may look a little strange, maybe even act a little strange, but they might sound like the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Amen? Amen.

The Word Became Flesh

2008-06-02T05:57:00.003-04:00

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1:14

We have established the fact that Jesus was in the beginning with God, along with the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1:1 we have God creating the heavens and the earth. The word in Hebrew used for God there is Elohim, which is the plural form of the word. He is the three-in-one God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Elohim. Genesis 1:2 tells us "the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." The Holy Spirit was there. God the Father was there. And here in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, John tells us that Jesus was there with God in the very beginning as well. In fact, John tells us that Jesus is God. So we have established that.

Now we come to this verse today. John tells us in verse 1, that "the Word was God." Here He tells us that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." This is speaking about Jesus Christ the Son of God. He is the one who became flesh, who left the throne room of heaven and lowered Himself and became a man. He did this as part of God's plan to reconcile mankind unto Himself. We were separated from God because of sin, but Jesus came to reconcile us to God.

The Greek word used for "dwelt" there, means to "encamp" or "tabernacled." The tabernacle of the Old Testament was covered in animal skins and looked rather ordinary from the outside. But on the inside it was adorned in gold. This is where the "chabod" was, the presence of God, the glory of God. That is the way Jesus was. He was so ordinary looking that Judas had to identify him to the Romans with a kiss. And yet, His glory "leaked out" on the Mount of Transfiguration. John was there, along with Peter and James, to witness the glory, the glory of Jesus' deity shining out through His humanity. And because of the work that Jesus did on the cross, He tore the veil in two, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies in the temple, so that now, you and I too, can behold the glory of God. We do not need a priest to go in once a year and do it for us. We can now come boldly before the throne of God. We can come daily, we can come freely, and we can come because of our relationship with Jesus. Jesus, who is full of grace and truth. Jesus spoke the truth to people, but He wasn't mean or harsh about it, but full of grace. Beloved, this day, we too can behold the glory of God. We too can come into the throne room of heaven and present our lives to God, as a living sacrifice to Him. "Lord, this day, I will live my life as a sacrifice of worship unto You." Shalom.

Children of God

2008-05-28T05:54:00.003-04:00

"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
John 1:11-13

We talked last time about how Jesus came to earth, and was not received well by the people of the earth. More specifically, He came to His own people, and His own people rejected Him. But Jesus didn't come to earth just for the Jews. He came to the earth for ALL the people of the earth. I believe that we covered the meaning of "all" last time. It means "all." You know, Jesus is a "hard pill to swallow." Human beings love to worship, were made to worship. Our society is no different than any of those in the past. We worship movie stars, and rock stars, and sports stars. We worship all kinds of things, except the one thing that we were created to worship: Jesus Christ. The song from the 1980's rings true: we are looking for love in all the wrong places. We try to be "good" people, when Jesus says that there is none that is good except God. We look to other people to fulfill the needs in our lives, when the only one who can really satisfy the longing and restlessness in our hearts is God.

And it tells us here, that as many as receive Him into their lives...and what that means is accept Him as Lord and Savior of their life, to turn their lives over to Him, to follow Him, to look to Him for direction in their lives instead of themselves, just making your own decisions, doing your own thing...as many as receive Him into their lives, to them He gives the right to become children of God. He isn't talking about becoming a physical child of God. He is talking about rebirth, being born again. There is a phenomena in the spiritual realm called being "born again," which Jesus explains to Nicodemus in John chapter 3, and we will go over when we get there. But a person has a physical birth, born as it says here, of the flesh and the will of man. But hopefully, one also has a spiritual birth, being born of the spirit. I could get really lengthy here in explaining this, and probably will next time...but suffice it to say, that we are born into this world physically, and need to be born spiritually to know God. Hence the term "born again." To those of us who are spiritually reborn, then God gives us the right to be one of His children, with all the rights and privileges that a child would have. One of your physical children has certain rights and privileges in your family, by virtue of the fact that they are one of your children, born into the family, so to speak. Even if you are adopted, you become part of that family that adopts you, and you have all the rights and privileges as part of the family. If you happened to have a hired servant such as a nanny or maid, they might have the familiarity of and to the family, but because they not part of the family, they don't have the rights and privileges of a family member, generally speaking. On the spiritual level, when we receive God into our hearts through His Son Jesus Christ, we become one of His children, because we are "born again," born into God's family. More on this later.

So, beloved, the choice is this: if you are born once, you will die twice. You will die physically, and you will face eternal death spiritually. But if you are born twice, born physically, and born of the spirit, then you will die only once, physically, because you will live eternally with God. Born once, die twice. Born twice, die once. More to follow. Shalom.

The Light

2008-05-27T05:50:00.007-04:00

"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man cave for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through Him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him."
John 1:6-10

We have had candlelight services at our church on Christmas Eve almost every year since I have been the pastor there. We turn off all the lights in and around the sanctuary, and let that darkness settle in on people for just a moment or two. That represents a couple things. First, it represents the dark world in which we live, lost without the light of Jesus' love. Secondly, it represents the darkness in our own hearts, spiritual darkness. Our hearts are dark, spiritually speaking, without the light of Jesus in them. It doesn't matter how much of a "good person" you are. Without Jesus, you are dark inside, and on your way to hell, where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die. But then, back to our candlelight service, the first candle is lit, and people are amazed at how bright just one light shining in a dark place can be. The room is illuminated by just that one little candle, because in the presence of light, darkness hides its face. That is what happens in our hearts, and that is what happens in our world. When we start around the circle, in opposite ways, each person lighting the candle of the person next to him, it is like someone just turned on the switch. The room is lit with such a brilliant light! Beloved, the same is true in our own lives. Are we letting the light of Jesus' love shine in the world around us?

We are introduced to John the Baptist in this passage, not to be confused with John, the writer of this book. John the Baptist was sent to be the forerunner, the witness, the announcer if you will, to the coming of the one true Light, Jesus the Messiah, the Christ. John was both prophet and priest. As a prophet, he stood before the people and spoke to them on behalf of God. As a priest, John stood before God and spoke to Him on behalf of the people. That is what ministry is, both prophetic and priestly. It is talking to people about God, and talking to God about people.

Last time, we talked about how the darkness did not take in the Light that was Jesus. We also talked about how Jesus was there in the beginning of all time, creating the universes, the worlds, space. It says in Psalm 33 that from the breath of His mouth the stars were made, that He is a star-breathing God. It also says in that same Psalm, that He fashioned our hearts individually. He is a star-breather, and a heart-maker. Because He loves us so much. And yet, v. 10 tells us, that He came to the earth and was among the people of the earth, He made the earth and the people of the earth, and the people of the earth did not know Him. In the book of Romans, chapter 1, it tells us that men (mankind) will be without excuse on Judgment Day, because God can be seen in creation around us. So no one will be able to say, "we didn't know." He came into the world, and creation knew Him. Storms obeyed Him, water supported Him, all creation obeyed Him. But not man. Man rejected Him. Crucified Him. Why is it so hard for us to believe, that God loves us, sent His Son Jesus to die for us, so that He could have relationship with us, and us with Him?

I skipped one little phrase that I would now like to revisit. It is in verse 7. It says "...That all through Him might believe." In the original language of the New Testament, Greek, the word "all" translated from the Greek means...you got it....it means "all." Does "all" mean "some"? No. "All" means "all." This is important to know, because there is a doctrine out there that says that God picked some to go to heaven and some to go to hell and you don't have a choice in the matter. I reject that doctrine, because the fact is, in 2 Peter 3:9, it tells us that is it God's desire that any should perish and that all should come to repentance. Again, "all" means "all." Jesus came into this world, as the One True Light, so that all could know Him, receive Him into their lives, and that all could know God through Him. This means you. This means me. This means all. Beloved, if you do not know Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life, you can....ask Him to be the Lord and Savior of your life today. Repent of your sins, which means to turn from them and turn towards Jesus. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you through His Word. Ask Him to teach you to love Him and His people. And He will. Shalom.

The Word

2008-05-22T05:28:00.006-04:00

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."
John 1:1-5

The writer of these words is John. The same John who was an apostle, the brother of James, early on referred to as the "Sons of Thunder." This is the same John who wrote not only this gospel, but also the books of 1, 2, and 3 John, as well as the Book of Revelation. Some people say, "I can't read John. He writes to cryptically." I don't believe so. Even in this passage, we can know what he means, and what the Holy Spirit through him is trying to teach us.

If we break this passage down into phrases, I think we can logically extract what God is revealing to us about Himself in these verses. First of all, "In the beginning was the Word...." If we take the Bible at face value, it is so much easier for us to understand. God didn't write this book to keep it hidden from us. No. He wants us to understand Him. He wants us to know Him. So, whoever or whatever the Word is, it was around int he beginning. That means at the beginning of time; at the very origin of all things. Whenever all of everything was being created, the Word was there. We know this by the next phrase, "...And the Word was with God." But here is the kicker: "...And the Word was God." Now, there is a group out there whose inaccurate translation of the Bible translates this incorrectly to say "...and the word was a god." That translation has been proven in a court of law to be inaccurate and not true to the original texts and manuscripts that we have, that translators use when translating the Bible. Anyway, don't get caught up in all of that. The accurate translation is "...And the Word was God." So what does that mean? I'm glad you asked. It means that whoever or whatever "the Word" is, it is equal or has the same essence as God; that whoever or whatever the Word is, is the same as God...in fact, IS God. "The Word" is Jesus Christ. A few verses later, v. 14, it says "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...." Jesus Christ. So from v. 1 and 2, and v. 14 we can see that Jesus Christ is God, and was at the beginning...before Genesis 1:1 and was there at the creation of all things. But wait. It gets a little more interesting.

In verse 3, we see something else about Jesus. "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." Okay....So, if Jesus is the Word, and the Word is God, that means Jesus is God. And if Jesus is the Word (and He is) then He was there at the creation of the worlds and the universe(s). But get this: this verse says that all things were made through Him. What does that mean? It means that He, Jesus Christ, created all things, because it goes on to say, "without Him nothing was made that was made." All things were made by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So let's summarize for a moment. Jesus is the Word. He was with God the Father there at the creation of all things in the beginning of time. In fact, He too, is God. God the Father and God the Son there at creation, and, it tells us in Genesis, the first book of the entire Bible, that the Holy Spirit was also there. The Trinity was there creating all things, in the beginning.

In verses 4 and 5 we read: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." Eternal life is found in the person of Jesus Christ. In these two verses we have two things that we take for granted a lot. We see that there is life in Jesus Christ, and there is light in Jesus Christ. Life and light. We have life on this planet, but we can still be in the darkness of our sin. Our sin brings darkness upon our soul so that we cannot see God. We cannot know God because of the darkness of our soul. But in Jesus Christ is light. Light that dispels the darkness. Eternal life and eternal light. Light that emanates from within our souls, and breaks the bondage of sin in our lives, the sin that keeps us from truly knowing God. We can know Him. Yes we can. Through Jesus Christ, because, remember, He is God. And the light of Jesus Christ shines into the darkness of a sinful world, and the darkness is not able to take it in. Physically, light and darkness cannot coexist. If a room is dark and you flip the light on, the darkness is gone immediately. But with spiritually, light and darkness can exist side by side. Like two people working side by side, and one says "What do you mean by all this being a Christian stuff? I am a good person. Am I not a Christian?" That is an example of light and darkness side by side, and the darkness just cannot take it in. Beloved, if you are a believer, be a witness. Sow the seeds of the gospel to those around you. If you are not yet a believer in Jesus Christ, if you have not asked Him in your life to be the Savior of your soul and the Lord of your life, you can do that right now. Just say this simple prayer: "Jesus, I am a sinner. I repent of my sins. Please forgive me of my sins. I ask you into my life right now, to be the Savior of my soul and the Lord of my life. Teach me to love You. Amen." It is that simple. God doesn't make it hard to come to Him. If you said that prayer, there are two things you should do to help you in your new life in Jesus Christ. First, get a Bible that you can understand, and read it. I suggest the New King James Version, the New International Version, or the New Living Translation. The second thing is this: find a church that teaches the Bible, and attend there. Unfortunately, there are a lot of churches out there, so you will need to ask Jesus to show you which one to attend. You might have to just visit them until He reveals to you which one is yours. I have a booklet I will send you if you would like some tips on how to draw closer to God. Know that you are loved, and welcome to the family! Shalom.

Strength Will Rise

2008-05-07T05:52:00.002-04:00

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:28-31

I just got back from doing my morning walk. Not run. Walk. Yes you heard me correctly. Guys like me don't run. The physical trauma to my knees would be devastating and debilitating. I have chosen, in my effort to gain some kind of control over my weight, I have decided to forgo the running with all its punishments and instead do the brisk walking thing. Now walking may sound "wimpy" to some of you, and if it does, well, I invite you to go walking with me. But before you come out, you have to know that I can walk faster than a lot of people can run. I have long legs and a very long stride, and "mama, I don't waste no time!" You might be saying to yourself, "Okay. Okay. Why all the talk about walking and running all of a sudden?" That is a very good question. I'm glad you asked. When I get back from walking, my heart is beating rapidly, I usually am sweating, and maybe even gasping for breath. Some mornings (usually Mondays for some reason) while all of this beating and sweating and gasping is going on, I might think that I am going to faint, that I just need to sit down and gather myself for a moment. That is when this text came to my mind.

There is a song out written by Brenton Brown called "Everlasting God." It was recorded by Chris Tomlin, and lots of churches across the land sing the song as part of their worship music set. That song was going through my head today, as my shoe came untied on the home stretch of my walk. As I am singing that song in my head (and heart), "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, as we wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord," it occurred to me that our lives are like my walk a lot of times. Sometimes, beloved, we get so caught up in the rapid pace of our lives, the rushing here and the rushing there, meeting this deadline and replacing it with the next. Our lives move at such a pace that we begin sweating about how we are going to fit it all in, "because only God knows that I have three kids going three different places with one vehicle and three meetings at work this week and then there is dinner parties and man, I have to fit church and God in there somewhere."

Relax.

Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the entire universe loves you. And He doesn't ever get tired, or run out of breath, or get weak and weary. In fact, He says that He will give strength to the weak, if we just wait upon Him. When I come back from my walk, I just want (need) to sit down and wait for a moment or two, then I'm alright. Beloved, in our busy lives, if we wait upon the Lord...if we take a moment to pause the "action" of our lives, and just be still before Him, He promises to renew our strength, to the point where we will run and not be weary, we will walk and not faint.

Let me ask you this: Are you running and getting nowhere? The hurry-er you go, the behind-er you get? Are you weary in your life? Do you feel like your life is at such a pace that you might faint? Maybe it is because in all of your rush, you forgot the most important thing: Our strength comes from the Lord, and if we wait upon Him - wait as in pause, but also wait as in serve - He promises to renew our strength. And we will rise. As our strength from the Lord rises, so will we. "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord." Let's go out there and face the day with courage and strength and peace and love that all comes from the hand of the Lord. Let's wait upon Him. I kinda like soaring like an eagle. Shalom.

Mountains Of A Holy God

2008-04-08T22:41:00.003-04:00

"For you have not come to the mountain that maybe touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. 20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: 'And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.' 21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.') 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel."
Hebrews 12:18-24

Once when I was a little boy, younger than twelve years old, our family took a vacation to Pike's Peak in Colorado. It was the first time I had seen any of the Rocky Mountains in person. I had seen them in books, magnificent pictures for which people had painstakingly taken the time to get the right angle and the right lighting. But once you see those mountains in person, no picture can ever really do it justice. When we got to the top of Pike's Peak, following the dirt road up and around and up and around, seeing trucks dumping loads of dirt where the road had washed away, and realizing that there was no guard rails, and hearing there was an automobile race to the top every year, I looked down on the clouds, and on the top of the airplanes flying around below us, and realized that I was a several thousand feet up in the air, on the top of this mountain.

In Exodus 19, the children of Israel come to Mount Sinai, on their escape out of Egypt. Now God speaks to Moses and is going to speak to Moses on the top of the mountain, in the midst of a dense cloud. God is going to give Moses the Ten Commandments and the Law. But He puts restrictions on this holy place, and tells Moses to tell the people, that if they go near the mountain and touch it, they shall be put to death. The mountain was holy ground, God was going to come down, in the sight of the people, in the midst of a dense cloud...and He was going to speak to Moses in the hearing of all the people. That was on Mount Sinai, in the desert, the receiving of the Law.

But the Word today tells us that we come to another mountain of God, Mount Zion. And there is such a group there on that mountain for us. God the Father, the Judge of all, is there. So is an innumerable company of angels, as well as the general assembly of those who have gone on before us: the church of the firstborn, those who are registered in heaven. Also greeting us there, will be the spirits of just men made perfect. Again, those who have gone on before us to heaven. And beloved, Jesus, the Mediator, and His blood of sprinkling that speaks of better things than Abel. Beloved, the One who sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for you and for me, is there waiting for us. And the blood that He shed for the remission or our sins, will be there.

Beloved, what a touching and loving group to meet us, in the holy city of the New Jerusalem. Be encouraged that the Lord cares about you, no matter what you are going through, and no matter where you've been. We aren't kept at a distance, like the children of Israel, when they came to Mount Sinai. No. We are invited to the mountain of God, Mount Zion, where there is such a group of holiness awaiting us. Be encouraged, beloved. Amen.

God Is Bigger Than The Beach Boys

2008-03-28T13:04:00.005-04:00

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' 37 yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, no things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39

We are having an event on the town square of the city in which I pastor. The Lord has put it in our hearts to have a Christian band come and play, and have an outreach event. And so we are. He has worked it out in an unbelievable way, just as He always does. We have sponsors and vendors and commercials on the radio, all as a testament to the unwavering love that Jesus Christ has for our souls. The enemy has come against us in a mighty way this week, but our God is bigger. My wife even told me that the Beach Boys were going to be at the Silver Springs attraction which is in a little town very, very close to here. "Ah...," I said. I was thinking, "Oh boy, just one more thing to take people away from our event." I wasn't thinking this in a selfish way. I just want a lot of people there to see and hear the gospel message, presented by the band, and a Christian mime team we are having perform as well. But then the Holy Spirit whispered to me, "Uh, Rod?" In that gentle and tender way He always does, He reminded me that the God we serve is much, much bigger than any band, or any event that we might be having. He created the heavens and the earth with just a Word. He can surely take care of this little event.

And that is a Word for all of us. It doesn't matter which way the wind is blowing. Maybe your situation if frock full of tension and heartache. Maybe your circumstances look and grim. Maybe there are storm warnings all around you, as you navigate your way on the sea of life. The waves may look ominous in your eyes, and the wind may be howling in your ears. But take heart in this: God is bigger than your situation. If He weren't, He wouldn't be God. But He is. He loves us so much, with a perfect love that will not let us go. And nothing can separate us from that love. Not the bills coming due and not enough money in the bank. Not a bad relationship that is going down the tubes. He loves us with a perfect love that will not let us go. Think about that. Read the words of Paul above. And in this life, when it seems that our own personal circumstances are about to win out over our faith, remember, that our God, the God we serve, truly wants to have a relationship with you, in spite of what you are going through. In spite of all other things this world had to offer you as a temporary solution.

And beloved, remember this above all else: Yes, Virginia, God is bigger than the Beach Boys.

Shalom. Shalom.

He Is Risen

2008-03-24T05:50:00.003-04:00

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said...." Matthew 28:6

These are the most beautiful words in the universe. Jesus is not in the empty tomb! Mohammad is in his grave. Buddha is in his grave. Confucius is in his grave. Gandhi is in his grave. But Jesus' tomb is empty! Moreover, He told us that He would rise from the grave. Jesus is a Man of His Word. Beloved, we can count on Jesus to be true, and to be truth. That is what His Word is. It is true. And it is truth.

He told us He would rise again. And He has. So can you and I be raised from the death of the life we live. There is pain and suffering in this world that we cannot explain. But we know that we can rise from it, because that is what Jesus did. As believers, we will one day very soon blast off out of this world and into the next in the Rapture, caught up to be with Jesus in the clouds, a "rising from the dead" if you will. But now, during this life, as we face situations and circumstances and difficulties, we can rise from the dead because Jesus rose, and defeated death, hell, sin, and the grave. Satan wants to drag you down to eternal death, and destroy your soul. But we can put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ the Son of God, who defeated the power of death, and likewise defeated the power of the enemy, who is the devil.

Beloved, this day, know that Jesus has risen, just as He said. There are other promises Jesus made too, which we can believe, because He said them. Stand upon His Word, and believe and trust in Him. Shalom.

Good Friday: Some Thoughts

2008-03-21T08:08:00.006-04:00

"And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.' And they divided His garments and cast lots. 35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, 'He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.' 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, 'If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.' 38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, 'If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.' 40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.' 42 Then he said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' 43 And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.' 44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, 'Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.' Having said this, He breathed His last. 47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, 'Certainly this was a righteous Man!' 48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. 48 But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things." Luke 23:33-49

I find it amazing, that people are still sneering at our Lord even today. I was just talking to a lady last night at the video store who was going on and on about "those Christians," until I told her I was a pastor. She started back-pedaling pretty fast. She couldn't make enough excuses for what she said, fast enough. On the first "Good Friday," the crowd that had gathered sneered. The soldiers on the scene rolled dice, as it were, for Jesus' robe, and told Him that if He really was the King of the Jews, that He should save Himself. Even one of the thieves hanging there beside Him, our Lord and Savior, would not stop his mockery, while Jesus was dying on the cross, the precious blood streaming down. I am amazed that even though the people have changed, things are still the same.

Another thought I have had about "Good Friday" is this: why do they call it "Good?" There are lots of answers, ranging from "the end result is good, is it not" to "it used to be called 'God's Friday' but over time there was an adding of an 'o' so now it is called Good Friday." How ever it got its name, in my mind there is nothing "good" about brutally murdering a man on a cross, except the ensuing result. We have made such a common thing this cross of Christ. We make jewelry out of it. We make a lot of things in the form or shape of a cross. We even try to make it attractive to some in an attempt to draw them into our churches. But the cross of Christ was a place of brutality and murder.

Someone once asked the question, "What was Jesus doing up there on the cross?" He was subbing for you and me. He was taking our place. The Bible says in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death...." And in Romans 3:23 it says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." A lot of times we place the emphasis of that verse on the "all" and it should be placed on the "sinned." We are all guilty, and we are all going to die- unless there is a substitute for us. Someone must be willing to give up their own life for your life, or their life for mine. That is what Jesus did on that cross, on April 3rd, 33 AD. He became the substitute for you and me. He took our place. He gave His life, so that we wouldn't have to. So that is what happened at 3:00 p.m. on that Friday so long ago. The Savior of the world gave up His life as substitutionary atonement to reconcile man and God. All we have to do is accept it. And now, even though it is Friday, we can have hope, because Sunday is coming! Shalom.

Saying The Same Thing

2008-03-20T06:17:00.004-04:00

"He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.' 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, 'What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, ' O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.' 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words." Matthew 26:39-44

On this Thursday before Good Friday, I was contemplating the whole situation of Jesus' life, from the Last Supper through the death, burial, and resurrection, when I read this part of Scripture, and something jumped out at me that I had never realized before. Jesus prayed the same prayer three times. I realize that this will probably end up not being about Easter/Resurrection Day, or whatever you call it, but so be it. I have been told so many times by so many people, people whom I looked up to and respected, that God doesn't want to hear our repetitiveness. And here we have Jesus Himself, praying the same prayer three times in a row..."the same words" it tells us. But it isn't just about whether it is right or not to pray the same prayer over and over again. No. It is much more than that. It is about the urgency of the cry of our heart, and the inability to think about or pray about anything else but our current situation. And I don't believe that God turns a deaf ear to that. He loves us with a perfect love that will not let us go.

I believe that our Father in heaven never tires of us coming to Him, regardless if it is repetitiveness or not. The Word says "let your requests be make known to God" (Philippians 4:6). I don't read any conditions there. No fine print. No asterisk clauses. Just the simple statement about letting us make our requests known unto God. Whatever the situation, beloved, we can let our requests be made known unto God. And the God of the universe, the Creator who flung the worlds and planets and stars and moon and sun into place, the Creator who speaks and multiple universes come into being, that God wants to have a relationship with you and me. He wants to live inside us. He longs for relationship with us. So much so, that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to make reconciliation between God and man, Him and us.

Jesus faced a situation where the cross was set before Him, and that He must bear the sin of the entire world past, present, and future, and He knew the Father would turn away from Him in that hour. Yet He did not pray once, or even twice, but three times, using the same words. So beloved, if in the urgency of your heart, and in the need of your situation, all you can do is pray the same thing, it is okay! God knows, God hears, and God is faithful to answer. He loves you! He loves me too! Shalom!

Thoughts on Easter/Resurrection Day (Or Whatever You Call It)

2008-03-18T05:43:00.003-04:00

"And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry....11 Then the devil left Him, and behold angels came and ministered to Him." Matthew 4:2,11

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'" Matthew 26:26-28

I never know what to call this day that is coming. I called it Easter for so long growing up, and even into my adult life, that it is hard to stop, even though now I know the origins, and don't want to give credence to that by calling it "Easter." Easter as some of you know, comes from a pronunciation of 'Ishtar." For more on those subjects, of which I could spend all time and space allowed here, you might do yourself a service and do a study on it. But don't just plug it in to your search engine and get all google-eyed, because the internet is full of, shall we say, "questionable" sources. Get some books from your pastor, or a Bible software program, and do the research within the Bible. Your pastor should be able to point you in the right direction. The day that Jesus Christ arose from the dead is never called Easter in the Bible. So that is why I now choose to call it Resurrection Day. I'm not sure that is in the Bible either, as a name for that glorious day (it never came up in my search of my Bible software program), but it just seems more appropriate, fitting. I am not saying I am right, or that you should make the switch. I'm just saying for me this is what i try to do.

But something caught my attention as I was reading this morning, and meditating on God's Word. My mind was directed to go back and re-read Matthew 4, where Jesus is tempted in the wilderness by Satan. Since I am going through my own dry, desert place right now, I thought it only right to read this passage again. The Word tells us that Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. That is a long time. I miss one meal in one day and I am a basket case. But here, our Lord, went without food and water for forty days and nights. Some might want to explain it away by saying, "Yes, but He was God. He can do that sort of thing." To say this takes away all humanity from our Savior. Yes He was God, but He was fully human as well. To take away His humanity is to take away His death, which in turn would take away His resurrection. Jesus Christ was fully God, yes, but He was fully human. He got hungry. Just like you and me. He got thirsty. Just like you and me. He had moments when His flesh was weak. Just like you and me. And don't think that the devil, when showing Jesus the stones and telling Him to turn them into bread, didn't make the smell of fresh baked bread come wafting up from someplace. Jesus was hungry, and to just say turn the stones to bread, while teasing, would not be the temptation that fresh baked bread would be.

So we call this week Holy Week. To me, every week is Holy Week. No, I don't pray the stations of the cross. There is only one station where I meet Jesus. It is on top of Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, where I meet Jesus...at the foot of the cross. That is the place where the ground is level, and it does not mater if I have money or am the poorest person in town. It doesn't matter whether I am the president or the janitor. It doesn't matter if I am black, yellow, brown, red, white, or green with purple polka dots. All that matters is that I come to Him, and meet Him there, at the place where His precious blood drips down to cover my sins with forgiveness, and washes them whiter than snow.

You might call it Resurrection Day. You may call it Easter. It's okay. It isn't as important so much what you call it, but that you meet Him at the cross, receive His death, and celebrate His resurrection. So go forth this day, beloved, and celebrate the resurrection and the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Shalom!

Citizenship

2008-02-29T06:13:00.002-05:00

"Now, therefore,you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."
Ephesians 2:19-22

Immigration, and what to do about aliens (not the UFO kind) whether legal or illegal, is an important issue in the news and political arena today. Foreigners, strangers, aliens. All terms synonymous, all used at times in a negative context. This great country of ours, the United States of America, has opened its borders for years, so that anyone from another country can come and find freedom and jobs and reach for that "American Dream." People come here to be citizens, with all of the rights and privileges that comes with that citizenship. But as great as that may be, there is another land of which we are citizens. Not just the physical citizenship we enjoy on the earth, here in the United States, but heaven. As believers we are citizens of heaven. And as citizens, we can participate in all the rights and privileges that comes with that citizenship. Ever wonder why you feel out of place here and like you don't belong? The reason is because you are out of place here and you don't belong. You belong to heaven. I belong to heaven. We are citizens of heaven.

We are members of the household of God. We have lots of brothers and sisters, too! The household of God. Wrap your mind around that for a minute, and think about what that is like. To be a member of the household of God. And look at the foundation and the cornerstone of our lives upon which it has been built. The foundation is the teaching of the apostles, and the prophets, and the cornerstone, is Jesus Christ Himself! And as we grow and are being built up, we become a holy temple in the Lord. Not only us personally, but as the Church at large, as well. We are being built up and grown into a holy temple, a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

So today, beloved, go out there with the knowledge that He is building you up to be a dwelling place for the holy Spirit of God, and that we have a sure foundation in Jesus Christ. Nothing can bother us or harm us if we walk in the light as He is in the light, and know that our foundation is Him. Shalom.

Far Off

2008-02-28T05:51:00.002-05:00

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation...17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."
Ephesians 2:13-14;17-18

Paul is talking about on the surface of these verses, the separation between the Gentiles and the Jews. But he is also, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, talking about something much deeper: our separation from God. In Biblical times, there was a "wall of separation" between the Court of the Gentiles, and the rest of the temple where Jews were allowed. It was in the Court of the Gentiles where the money changers would have set up their tables, and the goat and sheep merchants would be there to rip you off as well. The Gentiles were separated from the Jews, but more importantly to our Lord, they were separated from God. Paul here, is speaking of that separation being torn down through the blood of Jesus Christ. Beloved, through Jesus, there is no separation from God, no matter who you are. All who were far off have been brought near. It does not matter if you have been separated from God by religion, or by your failure to keep the rules, or some so-called "huge" sin in your life. Through the forgiveness found in the blood of Jesus Christ, we can be brought near to God.

The very fact that I was a "huge" sinner, running around in rebelliousness and disobedience, and that Jesus' blood can bring me near to God, blows my mind, because after all, I know me. But beloved, that is exactly what He has done for us. Through repentance for our sins, we find forgiveness in the blood of Jesus Christ. We were once "far off." We have been separated from God by our sins. But now we have been brought near, because the blood of Jesus Christ washes us clean, and removes our sin from us. I still, after so many years, shake my head in amazement at the love that God the Father has for you and me...especially me, because like I said, I know me, and my propensity for the flesh. But He loves me. And He loves you. So that we can be washed clean in the blood of Jesus. An old hymn says, "There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins. And sinners plunged beneath the flood lose all their guilty stains." Beloved, that is you and I. We who are sinners have been made clean. We have been washed in the blood. And now we are clean! What a liberating thing!

So today, as we walk out the door, on our way to who knows where, let us remember, that we were once so far away, and now have been brought so near to God, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which He shed for us on the cross of Calvary. Amen.

The Gift

2008-02-26T05:49:00.004-05:00

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
Ephesians 2:9-10

It is funny how it is, when you receive a gift from someone who surprises you, and says, "I saw this and thought of you," and then presents you with the gift, for no reason. For me, it makes me all smiley inside, and I take the gift, knowing that I did nothing to earn this gift, or deserve this gift, that the presenter is giving it because he or she thought of me. That is what God did when He saved you and me. It is a gift. Now, God sure knows what He is doing, because, if He had made it so that there was something that I could do to earn my salvation, I would get all puffed up and prideful and turn to people and say, "Did you see what I have done?" And I would try to convince the world around me how great I am. Don't shake your head at me, you would too. It's human nature. But God, in His infinite wisdom, took you and me out of the picture completely. It is a gift from Him to you, to me. All we have to do is receive it. We have been saved by grace: unmerited favor. And by faith we receive it and believe it, and then walk it out. Because if WE had anything to do with it, we would become prideful and boastful, and all puffed up. The Word says that no flesh should glory in His presence (1 Corinthians 1:29). So He takes care of that for us by taking us out of the picture. It's all Him.

And then, beloved, He tells us that we are His workmanship. The word used there, in the Greek language, the original language that most of the New Testament was written in, the word in the Greek used is the word from where we get our English word for poem. You and I were created the same way a poet creates a poem. Now, I write just a bit, and I have been known to craft a poem or two, so I can tell you first hand, that sometimes much time and effort is put in to finding just the right word, just the right phrase, to express the feeling of the heart. And that is what He did with you and I. We were created with just the right personality, just the right make up, to bring glory to God. When a poet finishes a poem, he wants someone to read it. When God is working on and in us, He wants someone to see us, so that He can smile over us and rejoice in us, and just pour out His love on us. God, the Creator of the Universe, is also the creator of you and me. And He loves us.

So beloved, today, as you hit the highways and byways, do not be discouraged. Do not be downhearted. Our God is a mighty God. And He loves you and me enough to make a way of reconciliation to Him, through His Son Jesus Christ. And it is a gift. All we have to do is receive it, and believe it, and walk it out in the flesh He has put us in temporarily. Amen? Amen.

Some Kind of Zombie Revisited

2008-02-25T05:36:00.003-05:00

"And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and f the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:1-7

Beloved, today is the day that the Lord has made. And the good news is this: He has made us alive. We who were once dead, spiritually speaking, have been made alive, through Jesus Christ. We who were so caught up in our sin that there seemed to be no hope for us spiritually, have been found and made alive through Jesus Christ the Son of God. We who were by nature children of wrath, are now children of the Light, made alive through the transforming blood of Jesus. That is very good news to me. I was pretty wild for a few years of my life, rebelling against my upbringing, rebelling against the church, rebelling against authority in my life. And during that time, I did some dastardly things of which I am not proud. And when I think of that time in my life, and it saddens me, I also think that during that time, Christ was loving me, pursuing me, longing for me. It blows my mind. And then to know that we sit together with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, what a deal!

The course of this world is controlled by the prince of the power of the air, who is our enemy the devil. Not the guy in the red suit with the pointed tail and the pitch fork. That isn't the devil. That is who he wants you to believe is the devil, but he is much more dangerous than that, and much more insidious. He wants to destroy your soul. Not make friends with you, and say it's okay that you belong to Christ. No. He wants to destroy your very soul, and he never has a good day, and he never takes a day off, and he is always on mission. And until Jesus Christ comes back to set up His earthly kingdom, the world system is one of his allies that he will use against us to war against our soul. The other ally he uses is our own flesh. The tug and pull of our flesh to conform to this world at work every day. Ever feel it when those commercials come on television, or you see that ad in a magazine? Our flesh pulls toward power, prestige, position, and prosperity (money). While we walk in all of that beloved, know that we are loved with a perfect love that will not let us go: the love of Jesus Christ.

He loved us so much that while we were yet sinners, He died for us. We have an incredible inheritance. We have been given eternal life. We were dead and have been made alive. The concept of the dead coming to life has been around in horror films for a long time, and not that I partake of those things, I know what a zombie is. And you and I who were dead have been made alive in Christ. So to borrow from that song from Audio Adrenaline, we are some kind of zombie. Shalom.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours

2008-02-22T05:42:00.003-05:00

"In Him also, we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."
Ephesians 1:11-14

That old song comes to mind whenever I read these verses. Jesus signed His name in blood to our lives. He sealed us with His Holy Spirit as His, and then presented (delivered) us to His Father as righteous. We belong to Him. Now, while I am not usually searching for Biblical truth in Motown, it seems to me that it is apropos in this situation.

There are many promises for believers in these verses. Many realities that perhaps we as Christians take for granted. The fact that we have obtained an inheritance is astounding in and of itself. The inheritance that we have obtained is heaven itself, and eternal life there with Jesus Christ. It is a place where no one really knows what it is all about, other than that they treat gold like asphalt up there...because the streets are paved with it, and they use it as a construction material (Revelation 21)!

The theology of predestination can get you into trouble if you don't understand it. God did not predestine some people to hell and some to heaven, as some would have you believe. It is that God, whom time has no jurisdiction over, sees the beginning and the end of time, at the same time, and knows who will choose Him. God is not bound by time and space, like finite man. God is infinite. Not bound by our time or physical location. He is an eternal present. He sees the beginning and the end, at the same time.

And then, beloved, He seals us with His guarantee, His deposit if you will. His down-payment for us, of things to come. He has purchased us with His blood, and is one day soon coming to redeem that which He has purchased. In the meantime, we have the promise, the down-payment that He truly is coming for us, and that we belong to Him. The seal of His Holy Spirit has been placed upon our lives, so that as we walk with Him, His Holy Spirit teaches us all things. We can depend upon Him. He is there in our life.

Beloved, kind of disjointed thoughts today. But know this, that the Holy Spirit lives within us, as a guarantee that we belong to Jesus, and that the Holy Spirit of God will lead and guide us and teach us all things. Go out there this day and walk in the confidence and knowledge that you belong to Him! Amen.

Redemption

2008-02-21T05:08:00.003-05:00

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
Ephesians 1:7

The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness. That is an amazing statement. It is only through His blood that we are cleansed. Did you notice that? Cleansed. Not covered over. Not cleaned up. Cleansed. Our sins are removed from us. We are clean. We are white as snow.

This passage today talks to us of redemption. What does it mean to redeem something? Good question. When I was younger (and now I am going to date myself), my parents collected S & H Green Stamps. We got them every time we went grocery shopping. As a little boy, I wondered, "What's the big deal about those little green stamp things?" I would see my parents collect them and collect them, and then some evening, they would sit at the kitchen table, and put them all into these little books. Then they would gather all of the books, and take them to a store called, oddly enough, the "S & H Green Stamps" store. They would take them in, and redeem them for "stuff." Things that could be used around the house like kitchenware, dishes, things like that. My parents exchanged something they had, for something they didn't have. It is the same principle our monetary system is based on. You redeem currency for goods.

So what is the principle of redemption, as it pertains to our spiritual condition? Another good question; so glad you asked. Jesus gave what He had: His sinless, perfect life; His blood. He gave His blood, what He had, to exchange it for something He didn't have: you and me. He didn't have us because we were separated from God by the sin in our lives. You and I were separated from God when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. Through Adam we have in us a sin nature that keeps us separated from God, except for our redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ. When we are born again, which means we are born of the Spirit of God in our spirit (born of the flesh when we were born from our mother-born again when we are born of the Spirit), then we are redeemed unto God. Our sin has been cleansed from us, removed from us, and we are a new creation. Not an old one that has been cleaned up, but a NEW one (2 Corinthians 5:17). We have been redeemed! That is such good news for us!

Beloved, I am going to list some verses on the blood that you can look up on your own and read.
Ephesians 2:13
Hebrews 9:7, 12-14, 22, 25-28; 10:4-22
1 Peter 1:17-19
1 John 1:7 (1:9)

Beloved, have a great day today, and go with the grace of God. Amen.

Chosen

2008-02-20T06:05:00.004-05:00

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love...."
Ephesians 1:3-4

I looked up today as I went for my morning walk, and there was my friend, the moon, full and bright, and smiling down on me in the darkness and quietness of the early morning darkness. As I looked at the moon, my mind thought about how big and how vast our God is. Sometimes I get so caught up in the circumstances of my life, that I forget about the fact that God, our God, the One True God, Jehovah, Elohim, Adonai, He spoke a word, and the worlds (including our moon) was made. Just pause and think about that for a moment....

Mankind goes through hundreds of struggles and difficulties in our lives here on earth every day. But you know what? Our God is big enough to handle taking care of you through whatever you are going through. I used to play a lot of ball. Whatever "ball" was in season, I would play it: basketball, football, or baseball. On the sandlot, there was always a selecting of teams. There was a choosing of sides. Two captains would be selected (usually the two best players) and we would take turns back and forth selecting teams. I have been both the one selecting and the one selected. I know how good it feels to make the right choice of a team mate, and I know what it feels like to be the one chosen.

Beloved, that is such a small thing, compared to what God has done for us. He has chosen us. You. Me. He chose us. All we have to do, is choose Him. You see, God is always the initiator. After Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, God put His redemptive plan in place, so that through the span of time, Jesus His Son would be born in the flesh, and grow up to go to that cross as a redemptive sacrifice for our sins. And all we have to do, is receive it and believe it in our hearts. Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of your life. God has blessed us in the heavenlies, with every spiritual blessing. He has prepared a home for us. He has made a way for us to live with Him. He has chosen us. The God of the universe has chosen you and me to live with Him, and all we have to do is choose Him. Repent of our sins and turn to Him. There is not room enough in this forum to fully explain the wonderful work that God has initiated on our behalf. But beloved, know this: He has chosen you! The greatest Captain of them all, if you will, has chosen you and me. We must decide in our heart of hearts to live our lives for Him.

Beloved, take care, out there on the highways and by-ways of life. "Life is tough. Pray hard" as the slogan goes. Don't forsake the meeting together with like-believers. Don't neglect the reading of God's Word in your life. Spend some time before Him in prayer, and in listening to Him. He will speak to you, in that still small voice that can only be heard in your heart of hearts. Shalom.

Sowing and Reaping

2008-02-19T05:25:00.002-05:00

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 6 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."
Galatians 6:7-9

Beloved, today's passage is a sober reminder to walk circumspectly; to walk in the way of righteousness. Whatever you do, whether right or wrong, in this life, you will also reap accordingly. If you sow righteousness, you will reap righteousness. If you sow wickedness and worldly things, then you will reap according to those seeds you have sown. We have a choice. That is what makes God so awesome! He gives us a choice. He could just zap! us, or He could just program us like robots, to serve Him, but instead, He gives us a choice. We get to choose how we are going to live, or rather, sow. And then, because He is a just and true God, He allows us to reap that which we have sown.

I believe this Biblical principle applies to even the smallest things in our daily life. If we are in traffic and someone needs to be let in, let them in. I believe that God sees even the smallest acts of kindness done in secret. Even just smiling at someone may make their day. We never know what people are going through. But the Biblical principle is still in place, and we will reap back what we have sown.

Now there are some out there, who take this verse and pervert it into something it is not. They falsely use it for their own monetary gain, by telling sincere yet misguided people that this verse applies to money. These false teachers tell people that if they will just "sow into the ministry" by sending their money to them, then they will reap what they have sown, and more! How absurd! This verse, beloved, is talking about how we live our lives, and the things we do in our life. All one has to do is look at the contextual verses around them. The verses before and the verses after, are all talking about living our lives and walking in righteousness. The problem with false teachers, is that they love to take one verse and lift it out of context and then make a theology out of it. That is so unBiblical.

Anyway, beloved, today, as you go through your life, walk in righteousness. Sow seeds of righteousness. And you will reap an eternal reward. Amen? Amen.

Brotherly Love

2008-02-18T04:48:00.006-05:00

"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself let you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothign, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load."
Galatians 6:1-5

There is a lot of "stuff" going around out there in the Church. There are the latest "fads" that blow through the church. The "fads" could be called "winds of doctrine" which come in and lead people away from the Biblical truth. There is the seeker-sensitive movement, or "gospel lite" as I call it. There are those churches which are driven by purpose, rather than led by the Spirit. Recently, there has "emerged" a movement that is deadly to the church. Oddly enough, it is called the Emerging Church. For more on the Emerging or Emergent Church, see Roger Oakland's book, Faith Undone. But there has been something that has been around in the church for as long as I have been a believer, and even before that when I was merely a church attender, before I gave my life to Christ. That thing is the cruel way we Christians treat each other. Not everyone across the board, mind you. That would make us unlike Christ. But there are certain ones, who come into our sights, and for some reason, we justify as okay what we do to them and how we treat them. I cannot explain it, nor understand, how some so-called Christians can treat their brothers and sisters which such disregard and disdain, and still call themselves Christians. It is beyond anything I can figure out. The only thing I can think of, is that they themselves are deceived. The enemy doesn't care how you treat your brothers and sisters, as long as he can destroy YOU. And he never lets up, and he never takes a day off, and he is always on mission. And in your ignorance and state of being deceived, he may even use you to destroy another. This is a very seroius thing for a believer, as we will have to stand before Jesus Himself and give an account for what we have done. I don't envy the one who is responsible for tearing down what the Holy Spirit has built up.

I read once that the Christian army is the only army in the world that shoots it's own soldiers. What baffles me is that this is in total contradiction to Scripture. As we read today, if a brother or sister sins, we are to restore them, not kick them while they are down. Not ostracize them from the fellowship. Not write them off from our lives. I saw a friend of mine, who slipped up and sinned, being treated so poorly from his fellowship, his friends, and his family. I wanted to cry, "Where is the spirit of gentleness? Where is the consideration of yourself?" But there was none. And sadly, he left the church, his family, and just moved away, probably never to darken the door of a church for along time, if ever again. Why? Why? Why do things like this happen in church, when the Holy Spirit tells us not to cast out (unless the person is blatant and unrepentent), but to restore. Jesus Himself was denied by one of His closest friends. He was betrayed by another one. Jesus restored Peter, and was giving Judas one last chance there in the Garden, when He called him "Friend" (Matthew 26:50).

Beloved,I believe that there is no examining of ourselves, truly. But there needs to be. We compare ourselves to others and say to ourselves, "I'm not as bad as so-and-so, I am okay." We glance at ourselves, and think more highly of ourselves than we ought, and then run out there door, rolling over and smashing anyone who gets in our way. All I can say, is it isn't the Jesus way. Other people are not our standard: Jesus is. We have been duped into thinking that as long as I read my Bible, and pray to the Lord, and listen to Christian radio, then I am alright. But verse 4 in the above text tells us, "Let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another." In other words, what the Holy Spirit is saying to us is, "You take care of yourself, and don't look around at what others are doing. Taking care of yourself is a full time job. I will worry about what everyone else is doing." Man, if we believers did that, the whole face of the church would be changed. We might actually make a difference in the world around us. Beloved, don't be deceived. Don't buy into the world system and the world's way of thinking, putting ourselves above all others. Let us bear our own load.

So beloved, today, first of all, know that we are all nothing without Jesus Christ in our lives. Let us first examine ourselves and not think more highly of ourselves than we ought, because without Jesus, we are nothing. Secondly, let us walk in grace and truth, and restore our brethren, not tear down. Jesus was in the "business" of restoration. Let us follow His example. Let us not take delight in the downfall or discouragement or the "payback" of others. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters. Let us come along side our brothers and sisters. Let us enourage each other, and spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not deceive ourselves. We belong to Jesus Christ the Son of God. Let us follow His example of restoration today. Amen.

Led By The Spirit

2008-02-13T06:05:00.003-05:00

"For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."
Galatians 5:17-18

Beloved, there is so much talk these days about being driven by purpose, that it is almost surreal. Being driven by purpose is not scriptural. We are led by the Spirit, who leads and guides us gently, according to His Word. In this world, there is a system that pulls on our flesh, that wants to seduce our flesh into "buying into" its own ways. This is of the devil. The sheep who belong to the Shepherd, know His voice, and are led by that voice, not driven along by some corporate, world of business, purpose. The Word today tells us that our flesh lusts against the Spirit. Our flesh is so pulled by this world, and the systems of this world, that it is in opposition of being led by the Spirit. The ways of this world, this pulling against our flesh, is in direct conflict with what the Spirit of God wants to do in our lives. He wants to bring about a change in us, where we don't pursue or follow after the things of this world, or even hang on to the life we knew before Him. In the next few verses, Paul will talk about the things that are in the life of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. But right after that, he will tell us about the fruit of the Spirit. There is so much comfort in that. I used to think that it was a list of things that I could never attain, and to a point, I am correct. I can never produce those things in my own life. It has to be the Spirit. The Spirit produces the change in us. It is the Spirit who produces the fruit in our lives. There is so much comfort in that.

Beloved, this day, allow the Holy Spirit of God to lead you and guide you. The Word says He will guide you into all truth. Allow Him to do that today, and follow Him. Don't worry about the world and its values and systems. It will not last. Only the things of God will last for eternity. Beloved, don't be driven by purpose, which is not Biblical, but be led by the Holy Spirit of God, which is what God wants for your life. Shalom.

Entangled Again

2008-02-12T06:05:00.000-05:00

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
Galatians 5:1

Beloved, as we start this day, Paul is urging the Galatians, and us, to stand fast in the liberty that we have in Christ Jesus. We have so much liberty in our daily walk. The thing is, Christians don't realize it much. We are like the Galatians. We become set free in Christ Jesus when we are born again, then because of the traditions of man, we place ourselves back under the yoke of bondage that is called legalism. Perhaps it is because we don't realize the liberty that is in Christ. Perhaps it is because your family has gone to this particular church all of your life. Whatever the reason, Jesus does not want us to put ourselves back under the bondage of trying to keep all the rules. You know the ones. They say that a Christian is "supposed" to behavior. We are to live according to the Bible, not according to the church traditions. It was church traditions that crucified Christ, not the liberty that is found in Him.

Stand fast means to stand and not move, or not be moved. So, we are to not be moved from the liberty that is in Christ. Beloved, you and I are free from the bondage of trying to keep the rules. That is a lot of pressure, because no one can keep the rules. Even though they want you to believe you can if you try hard enough, the legalists know you just can't keep the rules. But in getting you to keep trying, they are keeping you in bondage to it. Break free. Christ never intended for life with Him to be bondage. There is freedom in Christ. Gone are the "got to's" and now we live in the "get to's." We get to read our Bible. We get to pray. We get to fellowship with other believers. We get to walk and live with Christ every day. Beyond that, let the Word of God be your guide.

Beloved, today is the day of opportunity. Live and walk and breathe in the liberty that is found in the freedom that comes from Christ Jesus. Don't allow the rules to drag you down. To put you in bondage after you have been set free. Do not become entangled again with those things that only lead to bondage. Amen? Amen.

Known By God

2008-02-01T06:04:00.000-05:00

"But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to whidh you desire again to be in bondage?"
Galatians 4:8-9

Beloved, did you know that when we did not know God, we served things that we thought would fulfill us: money, power, prestige, position. All the things the enemy would have you serve. And that is what we did, even if we didn't know we were. We were serving the things of the world. There is a form of this in the Christian world too. We impose man-made rules upon people, saying "This is the way to heaven." But it isn't. Even just trying to keep the rules is a form of serving. But these things are not gods. There is only One True God. And guess what? He knows us. We are known by God. Psalm 139:13-17 says, "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!" Did you get that? God knew us before we were even formed in our mother's womb! How great and marvelous is our God! He knew us when we didn't know Him. He knew us from before the beginning of our lives, and He loves us. He loved us then, and He loves us now. He loved us when we were far from Him, running after the things of this world, the power, the prestige, the position, the prosperity. He knew us then, and loved us. So much so that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth as a baby, to grow up, and become the substitutionary atonement for our sins. Sometimes that blows my mind, how great the Father's love for us.

So today, in this passage of Scripture, Paul is talking to the Galatians, who started out by faith alone, but had placed themselves back under the bondage of rule-keeping. Paul calls it the "weak and beggarly elements." Beloved, know that you cannot keep the rules. You just can't. No matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you strive to do so, you won't be able to. I don't say that to discourage you. I say that because it is true. In and of yourself, you cannot keep the rules. But that isn't what it is about anyway. It's not about reading a certain amount in your Bible everyday, although reading your Bible is a necessity in the Christian walk. It isn't about how long you spend in prayer, although prayer is a vital part of your daily walk. It isn't about the clothes you wear, your hairstyle, anything like that. That is all external. God doesn't want your hair, He wants your heart. All those external attributes are just things that man has imposed - rules - to try and put you under bondage again. You don't need the Jesus and the rules. You just need Jesus.

Beloved, today as you go about your busyness, don't be too busy to remember the Father's love for us. He loves you and me so much, and cares deeply about your life. Let us live our lives as an act of worship unto Him. WE are the living sacrifice. WE are loved by God. WE have been loved by God since before we were made in our mother's womb. WE are known by God! Amen.

Sons Not Slaves

2008-01-31T05:31:00.000-05:00

"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 4:1 Now i say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is a master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, werein bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!' 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Galatians 3:26-4:7

Beloved, the most wonderful, incredible thing has happened! Did you know that? You and I as believers in Jesus Christ have entered into something that I don't believe we even realize. Do you want to know what it is? I thought you would never ask. Are you sitting down? Of course you are! You are reading this on your computer! Okay. Are you ready? Here it is. You and I were once slaves to sin. We were in bondage to it. Maybe we didn't even know we were. We were slaves to the sinful nature in us, doing things just because we didn't know anything else. And then the law comes into our lives, and we realize right from wrong, but we just cannot default to the right, because there is something in our lives that is so strong, compelling us to do wrong things. But then the light and love of Jesus Christ comes into our lives. The chains of sin fall off, the bondage to sin is broken, and it is at that time that we realize just how bound we were, because now we have been set free. One who is born into slavery knows nothing but slavery, until they have been set free. Then, how great is that freedom! That was me. That was you. We have been born into slavery, but now are set free by the grace and mercy of God through His Son Jesus Christ. And when the Son sets you free you are free indeed.

In Bible times, sometimes slaves were welcomed in to families, and treated like part of the family. But they were still slaves. They had no rights, no privileges, because they were slaves. But if they were adopted by that family, they are no longer slaves, and have all the rights and privileges of a son (or daughter). Beloved, you and I as believers in Jesus Christ, when we became born again, entered into the family of God as sons (and daughters). That makes us a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Did you get that? We have all the rights and privileges of sons and daughters. Just wrap your mind around that for a minute. Just pause right now, and let that sink in. You are an heir of God through Jesus Christ. Wow. That's huge! And God has put His Spirit within us, that is crying out to God, "Abba" which means "Daddy," and "Father." We get to call the God who created the universe and everything in it, "Daddy, Father!" That is so cool. That is so incredible. That is so humbling to me. I never had a very good relationship with my earthly father, because he left when I was twelve. So, for me, to be able to have a relationship with the Creator God, and to be His son, and to call Him "Daddy," well, that to me is so unbelievable.

So, beloved, don't go around living like a slave. Allow Him to lift up your hands that are hanging down. Allow Him to strengthen knees that are weak. He is the lifter of my head. Allow Him to do that for you today. Do not fear, for the Lord your God is with you, today, and every day. Amen? Amen.

Bargain: The Best I Ever Had

2008-01-30T05:35:00.000-05:00

"Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confirmed all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith, which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
Galatians 3:21-24

When I travel down the highway, I see these rectangular white signs with black letters and numbers on them. They are speed limit signs, telling me of what the law says is the fastest I can go on that road. When I am going faster than the sign says, the speed limit sign serves as a reminder of the law. Why do you think our automatic reaction when we see a police car is to slow down? Because the law reminds us of our guilt of not keeping it. The Ten Commandments are God's law. You can read them for yourself in the book of Exodus, chapter 20. When I read through them, I am reminded that, man, I certainly do fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Beloved, today when you are out there on the streets of your city, or the highways and byways of your community, think about the law. "No one is perfect," you might say to yourself, "even the pastor admitted to speeding and breaking the law." When the policeman pulls you over for speeding, that excuse won't hold up. We are all guilty under the law. So what then, is the purpose of the law? I am so glad you asked.

The apostle Paul is telling us here, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that the law is perfect, and if godliness and life, righteousness before God, could be given by the law, it certainly would have. But get this: the law (the Ten Commandments) was given so that we would know that we were sinners, and in dire need of a Savior. If we could keep the law all by ourselves, we would. But we can't. We need a Savior. The law shows us that we are sinners and in need of a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. "Yes, but I have never killed anyone." Oh really? Jesus says that if you are angry with a person in your heart, it is the same as committing murder. Lusting after someone is the same as committing adultery with them. And this day and age, covetousness, wanting what someone else has and not being content with what you have yourself, is idolatry. Ouch!

But there is good news, beloved. We are justified by faith. We are justified, made right before God, through faith in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we are told this amazing and wonderful verse: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast." In other words, we are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. What does that mean? It means that grace (getting what we don't deserve), and mercy (not getting what we deserve), both of which come from God, are key to our right standing before God. It isn't the Cosmic Scale theory that so many today have, where they think, "If I do more good than bad while here on earth, God has to let me into heaven." That is false. We are all sinners under the law. And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We deserve to die. But through God's mercy (not getting what we deserve) we don't get death. Instead, through God's grace (getting what we don't deserve) we get eternal life with Him, through our faith in what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. He paid the penalty for our sin, and took our judgment upon Himself, as a substitution, so that we might live. What an incredible deal, right? Who wouldn't want that?

Beloved, God is madly in love with you. He isn't mad at you. He doesn't turn His back on you. He hasn't gone away from you. He loves you so incredibly deep, with a perfect love. Rest in that love today, and know that there isn't anything we can do that will make Him love us less. The One who knows us best (whew!) loves us most. Now THAT is a bargain. Shalom.

Foolish Galatians

2008-01-28T05:33:00.000-05:00

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing for faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain?"
Galatians 3:1-4

One of the greatest dangers that we Christians face, is that after a tremendous move of God, we try to put our hands on it and tweak it and make it "better." Pastor Chuck Smith says it this way: "Every genuine revival and move of God, it seems, ends up with man trying to perfect it by the flesh." It seems that the tendency is that for us to start out well, beginning to walk in the Spirit, and by the Spirit, but then, for some reason, we want to take hold of our walk ourselves, and continue to "tweak" it, laying hold of it in the flesh, and walking, not according to the Spirit, not according to the Scriptures, but according to what makes us "feel good" and then we call that our Christian walk. I know some "believers" that are deceived and are calling themselves believers when they are acting worse than any pagan I know. They are "foolish Galatians." They had begun in the Spirit, but are now walking according to the flesh, and then calling what they do and how they act Christian. It truly amazes me. It is definitely a sign of the times, the end times, in which we live. Even some of the elect are deceived.

Beloved, continue to stay in the Word. Continue to go to church, where you can worship and fellowship with other true believers. Be kind to your pastor. Pray for him, because he is under attack from the enemy constantly. And sometimes the enemy uses other "Christians" to hurt him. But know this beloved, that the enemy wants to take out your pastor more than he wants to take out you. Why? Because "Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter." If the enemy can take out a pastor, it hurts the fellowship of believers, and the cause of Christ takes a hit. Don't let Satan use you or that seemingly innocent thing that you are doing, to hurt your pastor.

We begin our walk in the Spirit. Let us be careful then, to continue to walk according to the Spirit, and not of the flesh. As we began our walk, so let us continue to trust the Lord, and His Word, to lead and guide us in everything we do. We don't need anyone else's opinion, or input into our lives save the Spirit of the Living God. If we are faithful to Him, and focus on Him, then we will walk according to the Spirit. Be careful not to listen to the message of the world, that tells us that we don't need anyone but ourselves and our own strength, to make it through the day. Be careful not to get so comfortable in where we are, that we lose that utter dependence upon the sufficiency of Christ for our daily bread. Be careful not to become self-sufficient. Beloved, don't become a foolish Galatian, who began in the Spirit, but then, got off track and began walking according to their own strength. Let us not lose our dependence upon Christ. It is He who sustains us. Amen.

Killing My Old Man

2008-01-18T05:50:00.000-05:00

"For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
Galatians 2:16-21

As we have been reading through these early verses here in the book of Galatians, Paul is talking to us about the difference between living under the law and under grace. The law is a set of rules that, having left the bondage of sin, we put ourselves under the bondage of trying to keep. So we go from bondage to bondage, because we were under the bondage of sin, and now we are under the bondage of the guilt that comes from trying to keep the rules and failing. We have been freed from the bondage of sin, and we have been freed from the bondage of the law. Paul says that if we are saved by grace, and then place ourselves under bondage to the law again, then we sin. The law, the Ten Commandments for example, make it very clear that I cannot keep them. They make me very aware that if I am going to make it, I need a Savior, that I need Jesus. So through that law, I die to that law - not to the requirement contained therein, but to the guilt and the bondage associated to my awareness of failure to comply - because now I live my life to God, Jesus living through me. I do not live under the law anymore, but under grace. In Christ, the law requirements are fulfilled. This is what was happening to the Galatians. They were saved, and then listening to false teachers telling them that they needed Jesus, but they better be keeping all of those rules too. Paul is saying a loud and resounding "No."

We must take our "old man," the person we were before coming to Christ, the person who we were, living in bondage to the sin in our lives, often times unaware that we are even IN bondage, we take that old man, and we kill him. Before you stop reading, let me explain. When we come to Christ ("saved," "born again," "come to faith"), we become a new person. The Bible says that we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). When Christ died on the cross, He took all of the sin of every person in the world upon Himself. Every person who has ever lived, is living now, and who will live in the future. He took all of that sin upon Himself when He was crucified on the cross. That is where that "old man" went, when we became a follower of Jesus Christ. We are not the same person anymore. Do we still live in the fleshly body that is ours from birth? Yes. But our "old man" is not our physical flesh and bones. Our "old man" is our sin nature, the natural inclination (our "default" if you will) to sin. Our old man was nailed to the cross with Christ, so that we live, not defaulting to sin, but to Christ's example. We must do this, kill our old man, every day, because he wants to come down from the cross and take over again. Paul says that he must die daily (1 Corinthians 15:31). So too, must we make sure that old man is dead, every day.

When we kill our old man, then Christ can live through us, as we walk by faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God every day. Jesus Christ gave Himself on the cross as the substitution for our death, because the wages of sin is death, the Bible tells us, so someone has to die. We deserve to die for our sins, but God loves us so much, that He gave His one and only Son, to die in our place, so that we don't have to. That is God's mercy. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. We deserve death, but we don't get it. We get life, because of what Jesus did on the cross: He died in our place. And because Christ died for us, we get to experience eternal life with Him, if we turn to Him and repent of our sins and accept Him as Lord and Savior of our lives. That is God's grace. Grace is getting what we don't deserve. We deserve death, and we get life. What a deal! No one in their right mind would turn that down. We exchange our death for life eternal. Beloved, I pray I have not muddied the waters for you on this issue. If you have any questions or comments, you can reach me by posting a comment to this blog. We must walk with our heads held high, not in arrogance, but in the confidence that we live in Christ, and He lives through us. True righteousness comes through Christ, not through the keeping of the rules. If it came through the law, or the keeping of the rules, then, as Paul says, Christ died in vain. Beloved, know that God loves you, with a perfect love, and He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die as the substitution for us, to die on the cross in our place, so that we might live. That makes my heart swell in thanksgiving and love for Him. I pray it does your heart too. Incidently, I got the title for today's devotional from an old song by the group Petra of the same name, about the same subject. Beloved, walk well. Have faith. Pray. Enjoy your walk with Him. Amen.

Important Thing To Know

2008-01-17T05:37:00.000-05:00

"We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."
Galatians 2:15-16

This is kind of a strange selection of Scripture for a daily devotional, I will admit. But you need to read Galatians 1:19 through the end of the chapter, and the first fourteen verses of chapter 2 to really set it in context. If you haven't done that already, go ahead and do it now. I will wait.

Finished? Okay. So you see, there were some issues at hand. First, Paul had to present himself eventually to the "mother church" in Jerusalem, so that they could examine him to make sure he wasn't preaching some kind of heresy. I understand that. When I became a pastor, I had to undergo a similar testing, and did so willingly, because I understand the need for orthodoxy in the pastorate. You can't have "just anybody" running around out there and hanging out their shingle and starting a church. Yes, I know this has happened. But it is much to the shame of the individual. Where is the accountability? Where is the making sure that the interpretation being taught is actually contextually correct? Now, don't get me started. This is, perhaps, a topic for another day. So Paul went to Jerusalem.

Secondly, there was the issue of legalism. Some legalistic brothers, and I use the term loosely, had sneaked into the church meeting, to make sure that Paul was following the rules. They were very persuasive, and even convinced Titus, who was young and impressionable, and travelling with Paul, to become circumcised. Titus was a Gentile, and consequently, uncircumcised. But he had become a believer under Paul's ministry, and now was travelling around with him. And some legalists convinced young Titus that he was bound by Christ AND the law. There is the same kind of thing going on in the Church today. Jesus says, "Come unto me ALL you who are weary and heavy laden...." (emphasis mine) But there are some who would have you believe that only a select portion of people are going to heaven. Don't be swayed by the legalism. These people are under a law, not under the grace of God. Jesus says, "...Whosoever...shall have everlasting life." This means whoever. Not any select individuals. Anyone can come to Christ. Anyone.

Thirdly, there was the hypocrisy of Peter, of which Paul had to confront, and did so face-to-face with Peter. He didn't start spreading rumors about Paul. He didn't go to this one or that one, and say, "Did you hear what Peter is doing?" No. He went to Peter, and met with him face-to-face, and pointed out the blind spot in Peter's life. Oh this is much needed in the Church today. Too many times we start wagging our tongues to everyone, instead of going to the brother or the sister and sitting down with them face-to-face, and pointing out the blindspot, and then praying together, so that the relationship is still intact. Not so with us. We would much rather spread lies and rumors and gossip, which is so much easier, than to go to the person with our concerns. My Bible tells me that gossipers will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Beloved, the point of today's Scripture is very important. There is no "list" of things you need to do, to check off if you will, to be saved. We are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, not of ourselves, because it is the gift of God. It is not by the works we do, because if it were, we would surely boast about it, and become all puffed up with pride. It has nothing to do with us. It is all about Jesus Christ, and the work that He did for us on the cross. When He said from the cross, "It is finished," it means that the work has been done, and there is nothing more that needs to be done. So don't let anyone tell you that you have to "keep the rules" to be saved. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Not by what version of the Bible that you read. Not by how much time you spend in prayer. Not by how many chapters of Scripture you read. Not by your appearance, nor the songs you sing or listen to. Not even by your attendance at a certain church, or brand of church. None of that. Yes, Bible reading is extremely vital to the believer. Yes, prayer is of the utmost importance. But man, those are "get to's" not "got to's." We get to do those things out of our love for Jesus. We want to do those things because of our love for Him. It isn't because if we don't we won't belong to Him. It is because we belong to Him, and we want to become closer and closer and walk with Him on a daily basis. That is why we do it. Not because a "law" says we have to. And so beloved, at the end of this lengthy writing, here is the important thing to know: you are under grace, not the law. Don't worry so much about keeping the "rules." Just live under the grace of God. Let the Holy Spirit guide you today. Pray. Let the Word of God speak to you. Have faith. And enjoy your walk with Jesus. Shalom.

Called and Equiped

2008-01-16T05:17:00.000-05:00

"For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how i persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days."
Galatians 1:13-18

As most believers know, but need to be reminded of from time-to-time, every believer has a calling on their life from God. Oh, it may not be a call to be a pastor/teacher, or any "up front" ministry. But we all have a call from God upon our lives. It should not be a scary or fearful thing for the believer. To realize that God has called us to be more than what we are, is a very exciting and yet humbling prospect. The question though, for most of us, is not that He has called us, but to what? That is where being in the Word of God.spending time in prayer, and just as important, listening to Him speak to us, on a daily basis, is vital to the life of a believer. Along with that, a sober look at our lives, to see God's hand moving, and how He has moved in the past, is also a help. What kinds of situations has God led me into on a consistent basis? Where does He seem to be leading me now? What gives me His peace in my heart when I am doing it? These are indicators, that perhaps are pointing the way. But for me, yes, those things were indicators, but not the sole determining factor. In my life, God spoke to me in a way in which I knew it was Him without a doubt, I could not ignore it, and it resonated in my life so loudly, that others knew God was calling me in this direction as well.

Perhaps you know that God has called you, but you feel ill-prepared and inadequate. There is an adage that is so true. It says, "God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called." I don't know who said that, but it is so true. I think first of Gideon, who was from the least important family in his tribe, and he was the least person in his family. He was the least, and yet God called him to do some mighty things. Gideon was called to lead an army of three hundred men, against an army of Midianites which were as numerous as locusts. Now, I don't know about you, but just going into battle would be nerve-wracking enough, but to go to battle with such insurmountable odds would be enough to turn your knees to rubber, save for the fact that the Lord our God is with us. But you know what beloved? We go into those battles with those odds in different situations in our lives every day. God has called us. Yes we feel inadequate. Yes we feel ill-prepared. But, yes, the Lord our God is with us. He has called us.

But not only does He calls us, but He prepares us. He equips us. God called Gideon, and prepared him for the battle and for victory. God called Paul, and sent him to the back side of the Arabian desert, to prepare and equip him for the ministry to which he was called. Beloved, the same is with you. God will equip you, because He called you. Your calling does not come from man, and your equipping does not come from man either. Your equipping comes from the Lord. He called you. He knows to what He has called you. He will equip you. So have faith, my beloved. Our God is a mighty God, and He has called you into His marvelous light. And because He has called you, He will equip you for what He has called you to do. Trust in Him. Lean on Him. Believe in Him. Amen.

It Is Not Synthetic

2008-01-15T05:17:00.000-05:00

"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. 11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, now was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Galatians 1:10-12

I used to live in Indiana. Not that that is bad, in and of itself. There are a lot of good people in Indiana. None of that is the point. But we used to drive from Indiana to Tennessee with my maternal grandmother to see our "relatives." All of us children looked forward to making that trip, because it got us out of....you guessed it...Indiana. There are lots of corn fields and soy bean fields around where I grew up, so a change of scenery was always a welcomed thing. On our trip to Tennessee from Indiana, once you got passed the fields of the northern part, just south of Indianapolis, the land started to have rolling hills. I do so love Indiana in the fall, when the leaves on the maple trees began to turn all shades of orange and yellow and even an occasional red. But as I got older, and we made that trip more often, I began to notice something: someone was putting up these billboards and cluttering up the view of the rolling hills. There seemed to be more "See Rock City" billboards than ever before. Man was intruding upon what God had created so pure. It wasn't right. It wasn't natural. And it was ugly.

The gospel that Paul was preaching to the churches in Galatia did not come from himself, nor was it taught to him in some seminary, by some men who learned from other men. The gospel which Paul preached came directly and purely from Jesus Christ Himself. That is so radical! What if that were to happen today? First of all, I'm not sure anyone would believe the person who said they received direct revelation from Jesus Christ Himself, and secondly, perhaps, the tabloid magazines would be knocking on your door. There is one thing, beloved, of which we can be certain, when it comes to the Word which we hold in our hand: Paul, who wrote the majority of our New Testament, did not care about pleasing man, about being a man pleaser, because the gospel which he preached came directly from Jesus Christ Himself. Have you ever doubted the Word of God? Have you ever said to yourself, "How do I know that this is true?" The answer to those questions? The gospel which Paul based his life upon was not something that was man-made, or synthetic. It was from Jesus Christ Himself, whom I believe came and walked and talked with Paul, while he was on the back side of the Arabian desert.

Beloved, you can count on the Word of God to be true in your life. When it says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you," you can depend on that Word. Cling to it for dear life, my beloved. When it says, "All things work together for good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose," then beloved, let go and trust that Word. Know that even those hard circumstances in your life are working together with God to bring about something that is so incredibly beyond anything that we, man, can contrive in our finite minds. Our God, the God of the Universe, who created the stars, and the planets, and time itself, knows about you, and cares for you with such a love that is so far beyond our comprehension. We are blown away at the love our Creator has for us. He cares for you, beloved. He cares for me. His love is a perfect love. So don't be fearful, for the Lord our God is with you and me. Lift up your head that is bowed. Raise your feeble arms that are hanging down, and praise the God who is above all other gods, and who loves you with a perfect love that will not let you go. Amen? Amen.

Any Other Gospel

2008-01-14T05:23:00.000-05:00

"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you then what you have received, let him be accursed."
Galatians 1:6-9

Beloved, there are many out there today, who, for their own foolish gain, preach another gospel. There are a lot of them on television. There is a handful of them being investigated by a United States Senator. If God had wanted us to be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous, then Jesus would have set that example for us. The early church would have been brimming in it, and Paul would have talked incessantly about it in his writings. But the gospel is not about the creature comforts of this world. The gospel is about Jesus Christ, and His dying on the cross for our sins, His body placed in a borrowed tomb, and then raising from the dead on the third day. And the reason He came? Because we are sinners and could not bridge the chasm between us and God because of that sin. Jesus came to reconcile sinners unto God. And that is what He preached/taught while He was here. It is what the early church in the book of Acts was founded upon, and it is what Paul talks incessantly about in his writings. Beloved, any other gospel is not the gospel at all. It is a perversion. And there are good, misguided men preaching this perverted gospel all over our world.

The Galatians were allowing men to come in and teach a gospel that was different than what Paul had taught them. Of course it sounded good to them, and perhaps had elements of what Paul had taught them, but then, that is what makes the lie so believable: an element of truth in the mix. If they had just kept their focus on Jesus, and had been like the Bereans were, who searched the Scriptures to make sure even what Paul told them was true, then the Galatians would not have started to be swayed.

There is a movement in the Church today, that is as dangerous as it is popular. It is the "emerging" or "Emergent" movement. It has its roots in Eastern mysticism and Roman Catholicism. It is "any other gospel." Yes, it has an element of truth in the mix. Yes it is being propelled by some of the "big names" of the Church. But beloved, it is poison. Beware. Beware. Beware. It is the next "wind" or fad that is blowing through the Church, and it is deceiving millions. It involves a push for unity with other world religions. It involves using techniques from Eastern religions. Don't be deceived, and don't fall prey, beloved. Stay in the Word. Read the words of our Christ. Read the foundations of the early church in the book of Acts. Read what Paul writes about over and over again. It isn't about social gospel, or the kingdom of heaven on earth right now. It is all about Jesus Christ. So be a Berean, beloved. Check it out for yourselves. Be sober. Be vigilant. Be a Berean. Amen.

A Little Good News

2008-01-12T08:37:00.000-05:00

"Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

The is the greeting, the introduction, or the salutation to Paul's letter to the churches in Galatia. In those days, you didn't put from whom the letter was received at the end, such as we do today. Instead, you put it right up front, at the beginning, and then stated any credentials that would permit you or qualify you to write such a letter. And that is exactly what Paul does. He states right up front, that he is an apostle. An apostle, as some of you know, is one of the sent-out ones, one that had seen Jesus with his own two eyes, which Paul had on the Damascus road, and I personally believe was taught by the Lord himself when he was in the Arabian desert. Paul states this right away, to give his credentials, because this letter was going to be passed around to many churches which were established in the province in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) called Galatia. Then, Paul states to us who gave him the office of apostle. It was not from men. It did not come from any man, nor any position among men, but came to him through Jesus Christ Himself, and God His Father, who was the one whom raised Jesus from the dead. Beloved, there is enough information right there to start praising God and shouting to the heavens in thanksgiving! You and I are not apostles. We have not physically seen Jesus Christ with our own two eyes. But we are saints. We are joint heirs with Jesus. Because God has called us not friends, but sons (and daughters)! That is such news to bless our hearts. We need to wrap our minds around that for a minute. A lot of us out there have not had a good family growing up to understand the love of a father, so sometimes it is hard to make the jump from lousy earthly father to loving heavenly Father. But nevertheless, He loves us so much He has equated us with His Son Jesus. Hallelujah!

Then Paul, in his way that is so common to him, greets us in the grace and peace of Jesus Christ. It is always in that order and can be no other way. For if you do not know the grace of God, the grace that extends love and mercy and forgiveness towards us, then you will never know the peace of God, which goes way beyond our human understanding. Peace that comes to our hearts in the midst of terrible adversity and pain. Peace in our hearts when it seems everything else is gone. Without knowing the grace of God, then you will not know the peace of God in spite of what the world out there is telling you.

These few verses at the beginning of this little letter from Paul to the churches in Galatia contain such a wealth of things to bless our hearts, beloved. Let us this day go out into the world with the knowledge that Jesus Christ "gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Amen.

A Hard Habit To Break

2008-01-10T22:41:00.000-05:00

"For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. 13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."
2 Thessalonians 3:10-15

There Word is telling us here, through Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that work is good, and that everyone should work and not be what we use to call a "mooch": one who takes advantage of other peoples resources so that they don't have to use their own, and not necessarily to the liking of the people whose resources are being taken advantage of. Paul says, "If he won't work, he won't eat." Now, it doesn't say if he cannot work, if he is disabled and physically unable to work...." No. He says if he won't work. It implies that it is someone who can work, but simply will not. He is talking about willingness here, not ability. Speaking through these verses, several military terms are used. The word for "commanded," and "command" is a military command for an order that comes down from a superior and is expected to be obeyed. The word for "disorderly" there in v. 11 means "to break ranks." Paul says, "We hear that there are some among you who will not work, and have broken ranks and won't work, and now have become busybodies." The word "busybodies" means "gossips." I know a few of those, and sadly, most of them are in the church. We Christians need to get a handle on our tongues. It is destroying works and churches that have begun by the work of the Holy Spirit. I sure don't want to be the one to stand before God on judgment day and give an account of why I let my words be used to destroy a work of the Holy Spirit. God have mercy on us.

However, this whole passage, while focused on working or not, has the undercurrent of fraternizing with people who gossip. In v. 12, Paul tells us that we should work quietly and eat our own bread. This means we should mind our own business, and not sit around the table with gossipers, who will talk about anything and anybody, and are not honoring to the Lord and to the kingdom. Eat your own food, not the gossip monger's. Then comes the encouragement, beloved. Paul tells us to not grow weary in doing good. I know there are times when it seems like you are beating your head against the wall, or the field you are trying to plow is made of rock, and you aren't even scratching the surface. Do not grow weary in doing good, beloved, for someday we will receive our reward. And our reward is not for results. It is for our faithfulness to what God has called us to do.

Finally, beloved, we are told to take note of the gossipers, and do not keep company with them. I had to do this recently with someone whom I have known for years, and talked to him several times about his gossiping, and he would not relent, and so finally, in obedience to the Word of God, I had to take note of him, and not keep company with him. I had to back away from him. This move has been misunderstood by some, and I have suffered criticism, sometimes severe, because of it. But sometimes, there is a price for being obedient (to the Word), instead of being expedient. Beloved, if you have to choose man's way or God's way, always go with God, because even though man may not understand and criticize, it is temporary and of this world. God's way is eternally rewarding, and will always be the better way. We are to take note of this person, and do not keep company with him. We are not to put him out of the fellowship. We still count him as a brother, not an enemy. If his heart is tender, he will repent and be restored. If his heart is hard, he will eventually leave.

Beloved, sometimes this seems like a hard teaching, to have to disassociate yourself with a friend. But remember, God is sovereign, not man. Man's opinion means nothing to God. God's opinion means everything. Trust in the Lord, and keep your chin up, and your tongue in check. Shalom.

Directions Of The Heart

2008-01-09T06:12:00.000-05:00

NOTE: Due to illness and other assorted maladies, I have been unable to write this devotional until now. Lord willing, we are now back on track to keep up the daily devotionals. Pastor Rod

"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. 5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ."
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Let me ask you something. For whom are you praying? I mean really praying. Not just saying that you will pray, not just thinking about praying. But for whom are you actually speaking their name before God? I look at the apostle Paul as one of the key role models for any believer, Jesus being the first, of course. And if HE needs prayer, and asks for it here, so do the rest of us. But that is not necessarily the focus here. The focus is for what he asks others to pray. He asks that prayer be made on behalf of the Word of God, that it may go out, and have free course in individual hearts. Paul is always thinking for the kingdom, and the furtherance of the kingdom. I wonder if I am. But again, I think it goes back to the prayer, not for what it does FOR us, but what it does IN us. It gets our hearts in line with God's, not the other way around.

There are two kinds of obstacles to the Word; two kinds of people: the unreasonable (absurd), and the wicked. And oddly enough, these can both be found in the church. Not everybody who attends our fellowships believe the way we believe, nor embrace what we believe to be true. This is a hindrance to the gospel of Christ, and Paul is asking for prayer to be delivered from this, so the Word of God goes out unhindered. The antichrist is coming, but the Lord is faithful.

And finally, Paul has the confidence in the Lord, that we do the things we read and understand, the Word that God is putting in and on our hearts, that we do those things, and then, beloved, that we will do those things, that we will continue to do those things as we read His Word, and pray, and allow Him to speak to us today. And beloved, I too, have this very confidence in the Lord, that you too, do and will do these things. The word "command" there is a military term, for an order from a superior officer. We may or may not be in the military here on earth, but we are in the Lord's Army. And this command comes from the top! That we read, hear, and obey the Word of the Lord in our life. This will keep us close to God, and our feet walking on the narrow road.

Lastly, it is the Lord who will direct your hearts. Not only will He direct them, but in so doing, He will remove the obstacles. Once we were outside of the love of God, and here the Word tells us that the Lord will direct our hearts into it. We may not fully understand it, but the Lord will bring us into it. He will help us to realize it in our lives. He will direct our hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ. I don't know about you, but I want patience in my life. I'm just afraid to pray for it, because someone once said that patience is developed in adversity, and I am not sure I can handle any more in my life presently. That being said, it is the Lord who directs our hearts into the patience of Christ. He teaches us to wait on Him. He teaches us to trust in Him. Beloved, allow the Lord to direct your hearts into the love of God, and the patience of Christ. Don't be afraid. He is all good, all the time. Amen.

Hold On

2007-12-21T06:11:00.000-05:00

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of our epistle. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work."
2 Thessalonians 2:15-17

Paul is telling us here, that we ought to hold on to the things we were taught, Biblical things, the life-lessons, that come to us from either the written Word, or from the encouragement and teaching of friends and pastors. We are to stand fast, and to hold on. But what does it mean to stand fast? I believe that standing fast involves having the faith in the midst of terrible adversity, to keep you feet planted in one place, even though they really are wanting to run the other way. What can help us in standing fast, is knowing to whom you belong. We, as believers, belong to the King of kings and Lord of lords. David knew this when he went out to face Goliath. Elijah knew this when he faced the prophets of Baal. So too, you and I can have this assurance. What makes us weak and feeble, in my mind, is that our quiet time with the Lord isn't what it should be. We aren't spending time in the Word. We aren't spending time in prayer like we should. The lack of these things in our lives makes us weak and anemic spiritually. Standing fast is standing upon the Word of God, taking it at face value, and what it says is true, and in the face of odds that seem to not be in our favor, to continue to believe and to stand upon the Word. So when the dust settles, and the smoke clears, we are still standing.

And then Paul tells us to hold on. Sometimes, the best way to get through something is just to fasten your seat belts and hold on. Paul is telling us to hold on to things that were taught to us, by the Word or by teachers. When things don't seem to make sense logically, you need to hold on to the things you have been taught. Pilots are taught to trust their instruments, because sometimes we lose our bearings and up seems down and down seems like it is up. So we hold on to what we are taught. Things like, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Or, "All things work together for the good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose." Those are promises that we can stand fast upon, and hold on to, in the face of perilous times in our lives. Beloved, stand fast, and hold on. Shalom.

All This Talk

2007-12-19T05:57:00.000-05:00

"For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies."
2 Thessalonians 3:11

Nothing can destroy or divide a church like gossip. Paul knew this. Many times in his letters, he mentions the fact that we are not to be gossips. The fact of fishing for information, and then repeating it, is a form of gossip. The Greek word for "busybodies" means "to meddle." To be nosy. To be all up in somebody's business. To pump people for information, so that you can be "in the know." The root of this problem is basic. It is pride. To know something about you that you didn't think they knew. All of this energy spent fishing for information and talking to others could be spent doing something for the furtherance of the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of man.
In the context of the local church, that is what Paul is saying here. You are not working. Instead you are spending all your time gossiping.

In the book of James, he speaks of the tongue set on fire by hell. The tongue can ignite things and destroy them, which is exactly what the enemy wants. The thing is, people in the church either don't realize this, or ignore it. And that is the tragic thing. We have come to be inebriated over the gathering of information about our fellow man, which consumes time and energy better spent elsewhere.

Beloved, let us, all of us, take care to watch our tongues. No one wants to be guilty of destroying or dividing a church with our gossip. We have taken on a distorted view of gossip in the church, and it needs to be corrected, and the talk needs to stop. I have had people talk to me, in the church, about things which to them I have never spoken. I scratch my head and think, "How did they find out about that?" But then I realize who their friends are, and realize they run in the company of gossipers. How sad. Gossip hurts. It not only hurts the ones being talked about, but it hurts the ones you talk to, and it hurts people's opinions of the gossipers. A gossip is not the most esteemed person in the land. So beloved, let us stop all of this talk, and be about the business of the kingdom. Shalom.

Be Diligent

2007-12-07T06:21:00.000-05:00

"Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for it you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
2 Peter 1:10-11

In the Merriam Webster dictionary, the word "diligent" means, "characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort." Now, to bring that definition into today's text, it would mean that to be diligent to make our call and election sure, that there would be some kind of effort on our part, as Christians. In other words, it isn't going to just "fall out of the sky" and happen to us. We must make some sort of effort. In fact, Peter tells us that if we do "these things" we will never stumble. But what is he talking about? Someone once said, when you see a "therefore" in the Scripture, you should go back and read the verses before it to see what the "therefore" is there for. Poor grammar but you get the idea. So, looking back on the preceding verses, it goes back to the things we talked about yesterday, the adding to our faith these qualities and characteristics listed in v v.5 - 9. Add to your faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Peter is telling us that if we do this, and if we are making an earnest, steady, and energetic effort to make our call and election sure, we will never stumble. Wouldn't it be great if we would never stumble? Never saying something we shouldn't; never having that wrong attitude about something or somebody. To never stumble would be a great thing.

Peter tells us here in the text, that we will never stumble, and an entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be supplied to us. Peter tells us to make our call and election sure. Paul tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are found in the faith. It is diligence of introspection. It is a looking at ourselves and not looking at others. My mom used to tell me as a child, that if I just took care of myself, then I wouldn't have much time to "take care" of my brothers and sister, referring to our quarrelling, if I remember correctly. But that is so true for us Christians. If we are being diligent about ourselves, we won't have time to say, in the words of Peter in John 21:21, "What about him?" We let the Lord deal with others. We make sure OUR call and election is sure.

Beloved, God so loves you, and has given us His Word to get to know Him, and by which to guide our life. Let us add to our faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. And let us make a steady, earnest, and energetic effort to do these things and make our call and election sure, so that we will not stumble, and be supplied an entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen? Amen.

Adding to Your Faith

2007-12-06T05:41:00.000-05:00

"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins."
2 Peter 1:5-9

It is one thing to be a participant in a sporting event, such as a football game. It is entirely another to be a spectator from the sideline. From the youngest player in a youth football league, to the oldest player in the NFL, everyone understands this fact: no one wants to go home with their uniform clean. Why? Because that means that they didn't get into the game. They didn't play. In the Christian realm, it is the same thing. You don't want to go home with a clean uniform. That means you didn't get into the game. Translated into the spiritual world, it means that you just came to church on Sunday (maybe not even every Sunday), and you just listened and went home. You might have even sang a few songs, but probably you just listened. You don't read your Bible, because it is there on the shelf, gathering dust. You might have prayed for Jesus to save your soul, but you are a spectator.

The Christian walk is not a spectator sport. We must be active in our daily walk. And Peter is telling us that today. He says to us that we must add to our faith. Now faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17), so that means that to have faith, we must be reading our Bibles and spending time with God in His Word. That is not a passive thing. And then, Peter tells us, that to be partakers of the divine nature, we must be actively adding to our faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. These are qualities that don't just come "by osmosis," but rather, by spending time in the Word of God, and being obedient to what we read there (the key). All of that is not passive. Last night in our Old Testament study, in the last two chapters of 1 Chronicles, we saw David telling, rather charging, his son Solomon, in front of the entire assembled nation of Israel, to keep the commandments of the Lord, but also to seek the commandments of the Lord. Both of those words have nothing passive about them. Not only are we to be keepers of the Word, but we are to be seekers of a closer walk with God.

Someone once said, that we are as close to God as we want to be. How true this is. God wants to have a very very close relationship with you. The question is, how close do you want to be with Him? The Christian walk is not a spectator sport. So, beloved, get in the game. Get your uniform dirty. Your fellow Christians need you, your encouragement and your presence. Your church needs you. Your pastor needs you. And remember, God not only loves you, He likes you, too. So go out there today and engage your world with the love of Christ. Shalom.

A Transformed Life

2007-12-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
2 Peter 1:2-4

When you think back on the life of Peter, and how he was when Jesus first called him to be a disciple, and then you see Peter in the book of Acts, preaching that first sermon, something noticeable and noteworthy has taken place in his life. It is a remarkable change, one that gives me inspiration and encouragement as I study. Peter was such a man's man. He was so earthy, so full of life and yet so guided by his flesh. But as you read about Peter in the gospels, and then see him Acts, standing up to preach that first sermon on the Day of Pentecost, you know without a doubt, that something magnificent has happened in his heart, to allow this man to transform this way.

When I read these two short epistles that Peter wrote, placed in our Bible near the back, I can see and hear the tenderness of Peter's heart, and the work that the Lord has done in him over the years, and I pray that that same work can be accomplished in me. Through the divine power of Jesus Christ, He has given us, you and me, all things that pertain to life and godliness. It is through the knowledge of Him. It is always about Jesus. It always has been. It always is, and always will be. Through our knowledge of Him, as we increase in it, we become closer to Him, and our life becomes more and more conformed to His. As we get into His Word, and allow His Word to get into us, we are washed pure by the water of the Word, and our lives day-by-day are conformed to His image. He has given us this through the knowledge of Him, so that we can be partakers of the divine nature. Not something to observe from the sidelines, watching others live this, but we too, can be partakers of the divine nature.

Beloved, Jesus our Savior and our Lord has given us many precious promises in His Word that allow us to trust Him in our lives, even for the small stuff, building our faith in Him and in His Word. This day, go out into the world, and allow that divine nature that we partake of to shine through to the dark world around us. Yes there are cynics. Yes there are scoffers. But do not be daunted by them. Be strong and courageous, for the Lord our God is with us! Walk closely to the Lord, depending upon Him to provide for you this day. He is our sufficiency. Peter's life was transformed in an amazing way. Allow the Lord to transform your life today, and allow Him to use you today. Perhaps even to preach a sermon like Peter's on Pentecost! Amen.

A New Heart

2007-12-03T06:36:00.000-05:00

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 36:26

I have been thinking a lot about personal revival lately. I need it in my life. I was just reflecting on the richness and the fullness of a heart renewed in the Lord. Sometimes, when my focus gets fuzzy, and the distractions seem to crowd into my priorities, it is good to just come to the Lord for a renewal, a fresh pouring out of His Spirit upon a very dry and parched heart. The water of God's Word pouring over the dry, parched surface of a heart that has turned to stone by the world and its ways and its people - only God can do that for us.

Beloved, God can, and He promises He will, take out the heart of stone that has been make hard by the world system, and replace it with a tender heart of flesh that only comes from the pouring out of the living water upon our souls. We need to personally develop a hunger and a thirst for the Word of God, and His presence in our lives,
and a fresh outpouring of the power of His Holy Spirit into our lives. That is how we are going to change the world.

I sometimes get all caught up in what people think, and trying to please this one and that one, when really, and too often I forget this, but the one I need to please is Jesus. He is the one who is the giver of my life. He is the one who holds my name in the palm of His hand. He is the one who orders my steps and knows my days, even before I was born. He is the one and only one I serve. He is the only one I must worry about pleasing. If we all just lived for the Lord instead of other people, what a place the church would be in. We would truly be attractive to the world, because we are pleasing the Lord.

I am making it my aim to begin personal revival in my heart today. To not just settle for a status quo walk with God, one that is powerless and unfulfilling. Would you join me on this journey? Beloved, you will experience God as never before if you covenant to start a personal revival in your hearts, starting today. Shalom.

Revival

2007-11-30T08:44:00.000-05:00

"I know your works, you labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place - unless you repent."
Revelation 2:2-5

In this letter to the church at Ephesus, Jesus is telling them that He knows their works, their labor, their patience while doing the work of the kingdom. He sees all of that. It is a good church it seems, from all outward appearances. They have all the programs, all the different classes for each age level, and have all the big resources and big productions. Everything seems to be great. And yet, as Jesus looks into the heart of the matter, what He sees does not please Him. Here is this church, with the parking lot full of cars every Sunday, and the offering till running over, with lots of big buildings, heralding the favor of God. And still, Jesus says that He has something against this church. They had forgotten something. With all this flurry of religious, yes, spiritual activity, they forgot the most important thing. They forgot to take care of their own personal walks with the Lord. They had left Him back there somewhere, waiting for them by the side of the road, if you will, while they rushed off to "be about the Lord's business." Jesus tells these people, that they have left their first love. They have left that passion and thirst for the Lord and His Word that they had when they first came to know Him. They needed a revival.

When I was younger, growing up in the church, when we had revival in our denomination, it meant that there was going to be a special speaker, and that there would be church service every night of the week. Everyone was supposed to go out and invite all their neighbors and other heathens that they knew, to come with them to revival, in the chance that they might get saved. Now, while there is something to be said for having special meetings as a break from the routine, true revival doesn't happen with special meetings and special speakers in special places. True revival begins when we look into our own hearts and see that we hunger and thirst for that hunger and thirst that we once had, for the Lord, and for His Word. If things have gotten stale in your life, if things are routine in your walk, if you are feeling parched and dry in your heart, chances are, you need a revival.

Jesus gives these people the way back to closeness with Him. He gives three things that we must do for personal revival. The first one is to remember. Remember. Remember from where you have fallen and do those things again. Remember the things you did at first, and do them again. Remember how you used to pray about everything? When you first got saved, there was no issue that was too small to take to the Lord in prayer. "Lord, what color of socks should I wear today?" Or, "Lord, should I have the meatloaf or the chicken for dinner?" But once we get farther down the road, we realize that we can handle some things on our own. We don't need to go to the Lord with everything. Pretty soon, we are handling more things on our own than we are taking to the Lord in prayer. And we can get away from Him that way. Remember how you used to read your Bible and study His Word all the time when you first got saved? We carried our Bibles with us everywhere just in case we had a moment or two where we could read some of God's Word. Today, some people don't even take a Bible to church, let alone read it at home or on their own. Those are the first works that we are to remember and to do again.

The second thing is to repent. Repent. To stop doing whatever it is that we are currently doing, and to start doing something else. It means to do a complete 180 degree turn. If we are walking away from God, even doing church work we can do that, and turn and walk toward Him. It doesn't matter what we are doing, if Jesus isn't in the center of it, then it is no good. So we must repent of leaving Him out of things. This leads to the third thing.

The third thing is return. Return to the things you did at first. The first works. Remember them, repent of what you were doing instead of them, and then return to doing them. Beloved, for revival to start in our land, it must first start in our own hearts. In my heart, as I look at me. In your heart as you look at you. Revival must start in our individual hearts, before it will ever catch on anywhere else. Shalom.

Reflectors or Deflectors?

2007-11-29T08:39:00.000-05:00

"And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples saying, 'Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' 31 Jesus answered and said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'"
Luke 5:30-32

There are those in our world, who are reflectors, and there are those who are deflectors. A reflector is one who takes what is being faced, and sends a like-image out around him. It means "to bend back." It is to exhibit as an image. True believers are reflectors. We take the image of our Savior, and exhibit it to the world around us. At least, that is the idea. We are lights set on a hill, not hid under a basket. We are to take the light of His love to the world around us, to the "least of these." I was thinking the other day about the homeless people we have here in the town where we serve. And I began to think about if Jesus were to come to this earth today, He would probably hang out with the prostitutes and the homeless street people about whom in our hearts we so often feel disdain. Jesus was a lover of the underdog, the downcast, the lame and the cripple, the AIDS patients and the homeless street people. It isn't the church people He came to save. It is our pride that tells us that. Jesus came to save sinners. And we are to be reflectors of that love.

But then there are other people in our world who are deflectors. Nothing seems to stick to them. The have it all together, and have been doing it longer and better than anyone around them. Oh, they may not say it quite like that, and certainly not out loud, but you can see it in their actions and in their attitude of heart. Sin? Why in the world would I think that they have sinned? It was the religious leaders who were put out with Jesus eating with the prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners. But those are exactly whom Jesus came to save - sinners. Not the church goers. Not the religious leaders. Not the conservative right wing. He came for sinners, of which I am one. But deflectors don't consider themselves sinners. After all, they are the "good guys." The guys in the white hats. But all of that is outward show, Jesus tells them. They are just whitewashed tombs. Deflectors deflect their need for a savior, and instead reflect legalism and religion. Both will weigh you down so heavily that you will buckle under the guilt and the pressure to conform.

So my beloved, focus on Jesus, and live like He is coming soon. Because He is! And love those around us who are the "least of these," because in so doing, we are doing it unto our beloved Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ the Son of God. Amen.

A Response

2007-11-28T06:47:00.000-05:00

"And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
2 Timothy 2:24-26

I have written over fifty blogs, and the only one I have received any comments on is the one titled "The Glimpse." And they have all been anonymous. It is to the point that I want to respond to the criticism. Evidently, I did not articulate it well enough, or correctly portray with my words, the other individual being written about. As a pastor, I must encourage, admonish, to convince, rebuke, and to exhort, and I try to do this with gentleness and patience, in being obedient to the Word of God and the calling He has placed on my life.. I am the first to admit that I don't have it all together yet. Paul used the words "not that I have arrived." Just because I am a teacher of the Word, because that is what God has called me to do, doesn't mean that I have arrived, that I have it all down. I am a human being just like the rest of us. I have a whole list of faults that God is working out of me, but I am pretty much a diamond encased in an ugly lump of coal. Little by little, God is knocking off the rough edges.

I come across many kinds of people in my line of work. The human being is by far the most interesting of God's creation. There are those in the Body of Christ who are the most lovely, who display the love of Christ in their lives, and it just flows out of their lives because it runs over in their hearts. I truly want to be around those people. I even have a couple of those people as my friends. They have earned the right to speak into my life, for one of several reasons. Either they are close to me, personally as a friend, or we have been friends for a long time (more than one or two years) and they know my history, or I have given them permission to speak into my life, such as the pastor friends I have to whom I am accountable. I even have a "life coach" whom I have given permission to point out my blind spots, to critique my teaching, to give me encouragement and exhortation when and where needed. These people I have given permission to speak into my life. When these guys say something to me, and bring Scripture to my attention, I listen. They have earned the right to speak into my life. Now, I know that comment will perhaps prompt more response from those of you out there who are legalists. So be it. It is hard to put down in words the emotion and facial expressions that are called non-verbal communication, and make up at least eighty percent (80%) or our verbal conversations

Occasionally, there are those who come along who do no wrong, who think they have it all together, who call themselves Christians, yet are not receptive to the very Word of God. This individual about whom I am writing in "The Glimpse" was one such person. Any time there would be a situation where I would have to sit down and have conversation with them, the Word was not received, and would try to be used back in my direction, trying to avert the focus on their own life. Perhaps even now my words fall short in trying to describe the situation. It was like, "Here is the Word of God and how it applies to your life," and "Well, you never...," or "You are the one who needs to receive this." This always causes me to look inward, regardless of the source. When God's Word is aimed at me, I don't just brush it off, but evaluate the Word, and look at my life, to see if there is application. Paul says to "examine yourself" and that is what I try to do.

What I think it is, is that today there is such a glut of information in our world, even in our Christian world, that we perhaps think that because we have the knowledge, the information, we have the practice. We think that because we know how to do it, that equates with doing it, or practicing it, or having that Word manifest in our lives. And I am the first to admit that is not true.

I guess what I am trying to say, is yes I do want to be accountable (and am - to God and to certain others), and yes I truly believe that as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. But there has to be an allowance in the relationship. I have so many things that the Lord through His Word is working on me, and my close friends point out, with gentleness and encouragement, that if you come up to me with a megaphone and start yelling "Repent! Repent!" at close range, I will probably turn you off. Perhaps that is what I did to this individual. I don't think so, but perhaps because of their defensiveness at being called to meet with me, that is how it was perceived. Anyway, my intent was not to come across as one who cannot receive from anyone, and as one who has it all together. No way! (Just ask my wife) My intent was to illustrate the lack of reception not only in this individual, but I see it across the board in the Body. It is a failure to be responsible for one's own actions. It is prevalent in our world today. Shalom.

Prayer

2007-11-21T08:41:00.000-05:00

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving...."
Colossians 4:2

The encouragement here is to continue something that we are already doing. What is that you may ask? Praying. It is the power of our Christian life. The depth of your daily walk is directly related to the depth of your prayer life, I am convinced. There are pastors and teachers out there that say your power is in how much faith you have, or in the naming the thing you want and then claiming it in Jesus' name. Not so. The power for the Christian's daily walk comes from prayer. Perhaps we have a misconception of what prayer is, and that is the reason that we are so weak in our walk.

Prayer is not some "grocery list" of all the things we want God to do for us, and then trying to manipulate Him into giving them to us. "Lord, I really need that Mercedes, because I can put a 'Jesus' license plate on the front and use it as a witnessing tool." That kind of prayer, while making you feel good about yourself, is not aligning your will with God's will. Prayer is the aligning of our hearts and lives with the heart of God, and the offering of our day, our time, and our self to Him, and let Him tell us what we should do, and where we should go. Yes, there are prayers of intercession, where we intercede for someone else. Yes, there are prayers of supplication, where we bring our needs to our Father. I am not the last word on prayer. But I do know this: prayer is the key, not the last resort.

I have heard people say, and have caught myself at times saying, "All I can do is pray." Have you ever said that? Prayer should be the first course of action, not the last resort. So Paul is encouraging us to continue praying in earnest. And then he says something very interesting to me. He tells us to be vigilant about it. That means to be "sleeplessly watchful; alert and awake." Our prayers should be up to the minute, not yesterday's news. Pray for those you love. Pray for those who persecute you. Pray for His will to be manifest in your life. Pray for your needs. Pray to communicate with the God of the universe. And don't forget to let Him speak to you. The Word says to "Be still and know that I am God." Allow God to speak to your heart as you pray. Let your hearts be filled with thanksgiving unto God during this Thanksgiving Day celebration. Amen.

Good Enough

2007-11-20T05:36:00.000-05:00

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."
Colossians 3:23-24

It is so easy to just coast. Ever notice that? The easiest thing to do is just be mediocre, to just go along with the flow, to blend in. To just meet the standard, to just do what is required and no more. To reach the quota and then shut down. When I was working in the marketplace, I found that it was so easy to just do my job and go home. Day in and day out. A life of being "good enough." It wasn't especially fulfilling, but hey, it was good enough. It was what was required of me at my workplace. The thing is, that has never been in me, to just do what was required and leave. God has put something in me that drives me to do that little extra, to put in a little extra effort, to rise above the standard. Because whatever I do in my life, I am not doing for me, but for the Lord, because it is Him whom I serve.

Living our lives for the Lord can be much more fulfilling than the mediocrity that we label as "good enough." We were not created for mediocrity. In fact, Pastor and Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll was inspired to write a book entitled "Living Above the Level of Mediocrity." We are called to be so much more than mediocre. The rest of the world can be mediocre if it wants to, but not believers. Why? Because we serve a risen Lord, and it is for Him that we work, and live, and breathe, and have our being. When we come to Him, we lay down ourselves, and our rights, and our pride, and our lives, and we submit to Him. He is our Lord! And it is a wonderful thing. It is Him whom we serve. We are called to rise above the level of mediocrity that the world would have us buy into. We are created to soar high above all of that, because what we do is not for us or for man, but for our Lord.

I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of different people in the local church setting since I have been a Christian, and still to this day, it amazes me how many Christians do something according to the standard of the world, just good enough. Beloved, let me encourage you, and remind you, that whatever we do, we don't do it for ourselves, we do it for Jesus Christ our Lord. We are to do it heartily unto Him. For me, that raises the standard a little, because out of a heart of love for Him, I want to do the best that I can possibly do for Him. I don't want to present something to Him that is just "good enough." I want to present to Him the best that I possibly can. Not because it will earn me something, but because I love Him so much that I want to be and do the best. As the slogan for one of the branches of our armed services said, I want to be all I can be. Not for me, but for Him. Amen? Amen.

The Umpire

2007-11-19T07:40:00.000-05:00

"And let the peace of God rule in your hears, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
Colossians 3:15-17

Many people come to me seeking my counsel about what the will of God is for their life. And I tell them the same thing. What they have on their hearts must line up with Scripture, and do they have peace about it. The word in v. 15 there is "rule." Let the peace of God rule.... The word for "rule" there means umpire. The peace of God is to be the umpire in your hearts and minds about whether or not something is God's will or not. If you don't have peace about it, then you shouldn't do it. God will give you peace about it if it is from Him. But don't be like some people I know. They want to do something so badly, that they don't have peace about it, but they want to do it so bad that their "want to" supersedes God's peace. So they do it anyway, then have to suppress the guilt that the conviction of the Holy Spirit brings. Let the peace of God umpire in your hearts.

Secondly, Paul writes to us here about letting the Word of Christ dwell in us. At our church, and you can ask anyone who attends, I am forever encouraging people to get into the Word, and to let the Word get into us. The peace of God is an umpire about God's will in your heart, and so is His Word. As we get into the word, and the word gets into us, then the Word will give us wisdom, and teach us, as well as admonish us. And we are to do that for each other, by psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with grace...God's grace, in our hearts. We all need lots of God's grace. We get that from Jesus Christ, and as we grow closer to Him, by spending more time in His Word, and letting His Word dwell in our hearts.

Finally, Paul writes encouragement to us, to let everything that we do, whether it is the words we speak, or the very actions of our lives, whatever we do, we are to do in the name of Jesus Christ. And we are give thanks to God the Father through Him. So beloved, let us live our lives worthy of the walk to which we have been called. Let us let our sound doctrine effect our conduct, so that it is good, and brings glory to God the Father. And let the peace of God be the umpire in our hearts. Amen.

Putting Off and Putting On

2007-11-16T05:39:00.000-05:00

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."
Colossians 3:12-14

This passage holds a special place in my heart. The first sermon I ever preached that was worth anything (it was probably the second or third time I ever preached) was from this passage, these three verses. When I say "worth anything," I'm not necessarily speaking of content either. I am speaking more about the length of time I spoke to those good people. The first time I ever spoke was amazing. I had all of these notes, pages and pages of them. But no one had explained to me that there is a law in the universe that the first time you speak your notes are reduced in time unequal to the amount of paper you have before you. So it lasted about ten minutes, if that. So by the time they let me speak again, God had matured my walk with Him a bit, and matured my studying of His Word, so that when I came to this passage, it truly spoke to my heart first, so that I could then in turn teach it to others.

Paul has been telling us to put off the old man, put off the ways of the world, put off, put off, put off. Now he tells us that we get to put on some things. It is like taking off old dirty, soiled clothes, having a bath, and putting on brand new clean clothes. Paul tells us that we are holy and beloved of God. Did you know that? Do you accept that? It doesn't matter who you are, where you've been, or what you have done in the past, when you come to Jesus Christ and believe in Him and receive Him as your Lord and Savior of your life, you are placed in Christ, so that God sees you as holy. What a deal that is! You are beloved of the Father, a joint heir with Jesus Christ, making us all sons and daughters of God. Wrap your mind and heart around that one for a minute. God the Creator of the universe, loves you as a son or daughter. It is an amazing fact.

The first thing that Paul tells us to put on is tender mercies. Our God is a merciful God. David understood this to be true. Just read through some of his psalms that he wrote, and you can see it right there. He understood the mercy of God. And now, as true believers, we are to put on tender mercies toward others. Yes, I know that it is difficult sometimes. There are those in our lives who have hurt us. Believe me I know. But as I read His Word more, and live my life, and study His Word, I see a God who is loving, and gracious, and merciful to me, and to His people. Yes I fail. Yes I mess up. No I don't take for granted God's grace and mercy. But that doesn't change His nature. He is a loving and gracious and merciful God. Yes He is a God of justice and wrath as well. But He did not appoint us to wrath but to salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:9). So, because He is merciful to us, we in turn are to be merciful to each other. Yes, I saw that guy who cut you off in traffic (could have been me). No, I don't know all the details of how she hurt you, or any of that stuff. I only know what the Word says. And it says, that as a true believer, I am to put on tender mercies, regardless of past junk.

I could go through each one of these things, and this posting would be as long as the day. So consider this. We are also to put on kindness, even to that grump in the checkout line at the supermarket (that too, could be me). We are to put on humility - putting others first ( a concept that by itself could revolutionize our world), meekness, which means that even though you could, you won't. Paul then tells us to put on longsuffering, which means patience with one another. We are to bear with one another, which means to put up with one another, yes, even with a good attitude.

And we are to forgive one another. Keep in mind that Paul is writing to believers here. You know, I read an article years ago, that is still true today. It said that the Christian army is the only army in the world that shoots its own wounded. We don't forgive one another like we should. And we need to. After all, think about your own life, and the things you have done, your own sin, and what Christ has forgiven you. Now we in turn, are to forgive others with that same forgiveness. Paul gives us a command here. As true believers, we are to forgive one another. Period.

Finally, above all these other things, we are to put on love. Not physical love, not brotherly love, but agape love. It is a love that sees all these faults that our neighbors have, and loves them anyway, looking through the eyes of Christ. Paul says that this love is the bond of perfection. Jesus says that by our love for one another, that's how the world will know we belong to Him. So let me ask you, are you putting on these things? Tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, forgiving one another. These are what we are to put on. And like an overcoat when it rains, over all these things, we are to put on love. How loving are you today? How are you showing the world that you belong to Jesus Christ? By your words? The world doesn't want to hear you talk. The really, really want to see you walk. So let us preach the gospel to the world, and as Francis of Assisi said, "use words if necessary." Amen.

Compromise

2007-11-15T08:31:00.000-05:00

"Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all."
Colossians 3:9-11

It seems to me, that in today's society there is a belief that it is okay to not tell the truth. Kind of an "everybody does it" approach to things. The believer must not be caught up in this worldly belief. Paul is writing to the church at Colosse to encourage them, and to correct the false teaching of gnosticism that had invaded the church. The world and its practices were invading the church, and Paul is warning them to beware and not let it happen. So it is with not telling the truth. Believers should not have to be told this truth, and yet, I just spoke with a woman who told me that lying was rampant in the small town in which we live, a place where there is a church on every corner.

Paul is telling us that we have put off the old man, and that we have put on the new man, and that we have been renewed in Christ. We have been created in Him, we are a new creation. We no longer walk in the ways of the old man that we used to be. We are new. Not a Gentile, not a Jew, not anything else, but a Christian.

We once walked according to the ways of this world, before we were born again. We allowed ourselves to be blown around by everything the world wanted us to be and do. But now we have been changed. We have been given a new heart. We are created anew and afresh in Christ Jesus, to walk not as the world walks, but to walk with Him, to put off the old man and put on the new man which is found in Christ.

Beloved, it tells us in the book of Ephesians, in chapter 2, that we are God's workmanship. We are His creation, His poem, if you will. Let us walk a walk that is worthy of the calling which we have received. Let us live a consecrated life, a life dedicated and set apart for service unto God. Shalom.

Things Above

2007-11-14T05:26:00.000-05:00

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."
Colossians 3:1-4

It is so easy for a believer to get caught up in the things of this world, and to allow ourselves to set our minds on "things on the earth." After all, we live here don't we? The encouragement from Paul here, is not a question of "if" you have been raised with Christ. The original language renders it "since" you have been raised with Christ, or "because you are" raised with Christ. So the encouragement, the exhortation, is that because we are raised with Christ, let us seek the higher things, the noble things, the things that are right and true; holy things, if you will.

When I think about or try to imagine what the throne room of heaven is like, the place where Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father, it is hard to actually put into words, because words do it little justice. I think of a lot of bright light, which does not bother anyone, since there is nothing to hide in heaven, in that holy place. I think of the holiness of God. The purity and holiness of God. What a thing to imagine. What a greater thing it will be when we behold it with our own lives. And there we will be, in the very physical presence of Jesus Christ, who gave His life for me, and you - for us. And we can stand there in that purity, in all of that holiness and righteousness, because our life is hidden with Christ in God. What a truly amazing thing to wrap your mind around.

Therefore, my beloved, as believers, we are to seek after the good things, the noble things, the things that are true, and not be caught up in this world. This world seeks after its own. The things that are self-important, that make one self-righteous, and self-ish. The person we used to be, that was tied to this world, has died with Christ, and we now live our lives in Him. So we live pure lives; we live holy lives. Perfect lives? No way. But a life submitted to Christ; a life that is led by the Holy Spirit, who teaches us all things, and convicts us of sin. It is a walk of humility, a forgiven walk. It is a life that is lived in daily submission to the One who died for us. It is a life of abandonment to our old ways, and to the ways of this world - the ways of thinking and living according to this world. Beloved, let us seek those things which are above, where Christ is. Imagine yourself in the throne room of heaven. What would you seek after there? What would you do there? How would you think there? It leaves me speechless at times. And then, when He appears, we will appear with Him in glory. What a wonderful, glorious thought! Amen? Amen.

Legalism

2007-11-13T08:58:00.000-05:00

"Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. 20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations -- 21 'Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,' 22 which all concern things which perish with the using -- according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."
Colossians 2:18-23

Paul is speaking to us today, about legalism. There are those who, by false humility, do things that would make one think that they are a wonderful and glorious saint. And when you say anything to them, they falsely say, "Ah, it was nothing." When in reality, that is exactly what they want. They want the applause of men. He is ignorant and proud, and is living by the flesh. Paul tells us that person is not holding fast to the Head, who is Jesus Christ. The body, the Body of Christ, the church, is nourished by Christ, knit together in Christ, and grows from the increase that only comes from Christ. Beware beloved, of those who give the appearance of promoting unity in the body, but are really promoting their own agenda, which is to make themselves look good, regardless of the cost.

Let me encourage you, that if you died with Christ, crucifying the old man, the flesh, to the cross, then don't live according to the world's wisdom, subjecting yourself to regulations of men, concerning your daily walk with Christ. It is not by rules and regulations and religion that we walk, but by faith in Jesus Christ. When we subject ourselves to legalism, that set of rules imposed upon us by the traditions of men, we are putting ourselves back under bondage, from which Christ freed us by dying on the cross. We were under bondage to sin, before we became born again, and by subjecting ourselves to legalism, the "keeping of the rules," we are again placing ourselves back under bondage, except this time it has a different name. But it is binding just the same.

Legalism makes our walk with Christ something of a show, and makes men feel good about themselves. But beloved, we walk by faith, and that faith is in Jesus Christ, who from the cross said, "It is finished." There is nothing more to do. Nothing I can do to complete the work. This is something that some North American Christians have a problem with. "You mean there is nothing that I can do to help?" The answer is a resounding "No." Jesus did it all on the cross. He died for all, and nothing further needs to be done. That is why He cried, "It is finished." No more rules, regulations, and religion. You cannot keep them. And none of them will save your soul. Only Jesus can save your soul. So don't be bound by legalism and religion. Have a relationship with the Living God, through His Son Jesus Christ, and walk free. "When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed." Amen.

Cheaters

2007-11-12T06:07:00.000-05:00

"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ."
Colossians 2:8

We have all experienced the emotion that accompanies being "duped" and then one day realizing the truth. There is embarrassment, hurt, sometimes shame, anger, and foolishness. There is a whole gamut of emotions that come flying at you all at once, and you just want to lash out, to get even, to make the person who perpetrated this upon you to pay for what he/she did. The closer the person is to us, the stronger that desire seems to be, "Make them pay!" But that is not how Jesus would have us react. "'Vengeance is mine. I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19). There have been times when I have been wronged, that I so badly wanted to lash out. But I remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord, so here is what I do. I begin praying that the Lord would revenge my name. That the Lord would take His vengeance out upon the person who perpetrated this pain in my life. It is the prayer of David in many of the psalms, for all you "nay-sayers" out there. Then I don't have to worry about it anymore. The Lord can deal so much more effectively than I ever could. So I just pray the Lord's vengeance upon the people, and that I would be vindicated.

Now, at the risk of sounding like a holy assassin, or someone out there on the lunatic fringe, I also react in a way that is inward. I take a good hard look at myself, and what I should have done, or could have done, to make this person treat me like this. Again, I react in prayer. "Lord, is there something in my life that needs correction? Holy Spirit teach me to be better in this area." And then I ask myself, "How was I led astray so easily?" Then answer to that one is usually this: By taking my eyes off of Jesus, and from following Him, and being led by the influence of man.

Beloved, Paul writes to the Colossians that they not be led astray, and let anyone cheat them through the wisdom of man, which is far inferior to the wisdom of God. Paul writes that they not be cheated through persuasive words or ideas that come from man. The people who were doing this in the church at Colosse, were spreading heresy, which came to be known as Gnosticism, from the Greek word gnosis, which means knowledge. It is in the world today, in many forms. There is even a form of it that has invaded the church, so beware, my beloved. It is an exaltation of the intellect and the experience over the Word of God. Don't let anyone cheat you out of your walk with the Lord. Don't let anyone cheat you out of taking your eyes off of Jesus. And don't let anyone in the church cause you to start focusing on doing things, or being a part of the right group. Focus on Jesus, and you will never be cheated. Amen.

The Beautiful Rhythm of Living

2007-11-09T05:34:00.000-05:00

"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."
Colossians 2:6-7

Today is another beautiful day that the Lord has made. There is a beautiful rhythm to it. The alarm goes off, the coffee is made, time spent with the Lord. Prayer. Then time on the computer for emails and blogs. Breakfast. By then it is time to shower and get ready to go. And the day begins. The beautiful rhythm of living.

The trouble I have with all of this, is my reluctance to keep up the momentum. For some unknown reason, I can put on the skids, and interrupt the beautiful rhythm of living with my laziness and disobedience. That beautiful rhythm with which I began the day can be stopped by poor decisions I make to do what is easy and entertaining rather than what is noble and wholesome. This in turn, stops the momentum that had been built into my day before breakfast. And then I look around and wonder how i got to the place where I am, not having accomplished what I set out to do. Again, the beautiful rhythm of living life, and the beautiful rhythm of loving the Lord, are interrupted by laziness and disobedience. Not to suggest that one stops loving the Lord by these things. But the flow is interrupted. And that allows room for our enemy, the devil, to get a foothold, or to plant a seed of doubt or bitterness. This must not be, and Lord help me when I am tempted to continue in the flesh what You have begun in the Spirit (sometimes I feel just like a foolish Galatian).

Paul writes to the Colossians, and us, that as we "have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." It is a simple thing. We received Christ simply, and we are to walk in Him simply. It too has a rhythm about it. Spending time with the Lord. Prayer. Obedience. Kindness. Gentleness. Humility. Putting others first. It seems so simple, this beautiful rhythm of living life, and the beautiful rhythm of loving the Lord. The two are connected. They have a flow to them. They are intertwined and have a flow through the life of a believer. There is no separation between living life and loving God. Because we are rooted and built up in Him. He is our life. And if we simply walk in Him, and allow Him to work and move through us, we can be sure that we are doing what He wants us to do.

Paul writes here, that we should be rooted in Him, built up in Him, and established in the faith through Him, and that we are to abound with thanksgiving. Most believers have a pretty good understanding about what it means to be rooted in Him, and built up in Him. But what does established in the faith mean? When something is established, it means that it was started, that it grew, and that it remains as something that is there now and is going to last. It has the feel of withstanding the test of time.

So too with being established in the faith. It had its beginning in our lives, and has grown, and is growing, and it is there now and is going to last. A faith that withstands the test of time. And abounding in it means it keeps going and going until it is over the top. The only detriment to this is us. Neglecting our quiet time. Not doing those good and wholesome things, and replacing them with things that can weigh us down, and get entangled around our legs and trip us up. It is a mystery why we humans do this, intentionally. But we come to the Lord with humility of heart and repentance, and receive this grace, His grace, into our lives, so that we can go out and face today, with a heart full of love and thanksgiving. And continue on in the beautiful rhythm. Shalom.

The Deal

2007-11-08T05:22:00.000-05:00

"And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight - 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."
Colossians 1:20-23

There are many times that I hear of, or read of, or actually experience first hand, people knocking the cross of Jesus Christ. People wear it as a piece of jewelry around their necks, some of whom I wonder if they have any idea what it stands for or the work that was done there. Rock stars wear large crosses with glittering chains as an accessory, because it is cool. I find it interesting, to say the least. Because a cross in Biblical times was to the people of that time the same thing as an electric chair is to us in our day. How many people would wear an electric chair necklace? It is all very interesting indeed.

What Christ did on the cross was a very amazing thing. He paid the penalty, which is death, for our sins. The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death...." The ultimate payout for our sins is death. Someone has to die, namely us. But Jesus came and went to the cross to die in our place, so that we wouldn't have to. He gave His life so that we may live. He has reconciled us to God the Father "in the body of His flesh through death" so that we can be presented "holy and blameless" before the Father. What a deal. To exchange this life of sin and darkness and hopelessness, for a life that is holy and blameless before the Father, a life of light and full of hope. What a deal.

So beloved, be encouraged. The work that Jesus Christ did on the cross, was the only work that needed to be done. There is no list of rules to check off. There are no regulations to follow in fear of messing up. It is not religion. What Jesus did on the cross He did once and for all. He didn't say from the cross, "It's almost done!" No. He said, "It is finished." There is nothing else that we can do for our salvation. We have been reconciled to God through Christ in His death on the cross. We just believe and accept that by faith.

Yes, we try to keep doing things that we think in our own minds, will make us "acceptable" to God. We try doing good deeds. People who don't really know Jesus have this concept that there is this great big Cosmic Scale in the Sky, that, if they do enough good deeds that outweigh the bad deeds they have done, then they will go to heaven. Beloved, don't get all caught up in that thinking, or in any thinking that says you have to "do" something to be good enough to go to heaven. Jesus reconciled us to God through His death on the cross; through His body being broken, and through the shedding of His blood. Sin doesn't have to have dominion and power over our lives any more. No longer do we have to live our lives in chains, in bondage to our sin. We are made free in Jesus Christ. Do you want to be truly free today? Turn to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He set aside His glory in heaven, to come to earth to die, so that you and I could live and be free. I get to trade my life of sin which is deserving of death, for a life that is presented to the Father as holy and blameless. What a deal!

The Supremacy Of Christ

2007-11-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in all the fullness should dwell."
Colossians 1:15-19

So many times we treat Jesus one of two ways. Either we treat Him like He was "one of the boys," that He was a great teacher, a prophet, a peace-maker, and we keep Him so human that we lose the essence of His deity. Or we dismiss His sinless of life to the comment, "Oh, He was God." Both of those views are so far on each end of the spectrum. He was fully human. He could experience what we experience. He identifies with what we are going through. He was tempted like we are, with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He went through temptation and trials, so that we can know He understands. He could feel the pain of a whip, thorns, a spear, and He could feel the pain of when a friend betrays us, or the disappointment and sadness when friends walk away.

And yet, He was fully God. Paul is writing the Colossians here, to do away with the false teaching of Gnosticism which had infiltrated the church there, as to some degree has today. Paul is telling us about the supremacy of Jesus Christ over everything, physical of spiritual. When he writes to us and tells us that Jesus is the "image of the invisible God," he is telling us, that if we want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. Jesus is the image of God. In John 14:9, Jesus tells Phillip, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." To know God is to look at Jesus. And then, Paul tells us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus is the "firstborn over all creation." "Wait a minute," you might say, "I thought Jesus wasn't born until the New Testament. You are correct. But that is a chronological birth. What we are talking about here, is that Jesus was the first born in priority. He wasn't the first person ever born, but He is the most important person ever born. We will come back to this.

If you have any doubt about whether or not Jesus was around at creation, verse 16 should clear that up for you, because it tells us that all things were created "by" Him. All things that were created were created by Him. "All things were created "through Him and for Him." He created all things, and they were created for Him. Not for us. Beloved, when you read the headlines, when science is trying to shoot our beliefs out of the water, take heart, and know that all things, even science, was created by Him. He was in existence before all things, and it is by Him that all things exist.

He is the head of the church, which is the body of Christ, and He is the firstborn from the dead. There is that word again. It wasn't that He was the first person ever raised from the dead, because He wasn't. But He was the most important person ever raised from the dead. It was His resurrection that broke the power of sin and death once and for all in our lives. He is preeminent.

And God the Father was pleased that in Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt (Colossians 2:9). Everything that we can ever want or need, emotionally, physically, spiritually, can be found in the person of Jesus Christ. Beloved, today, call on Him when you are in need, any kind of need, and He will hear, and He will answer. Amen.

Prayer

2007-11-06T05:36:00.000-05:00

"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."
Colossians 1:9-12

There are many good books out there today on the subject of prayer. Some are classics, written by men who have walked with the Lord longer than I have been alive. There are a couple of books on prayer that I have in my library, and a couple more I would like to add. That being said, it is my belief that the greatest book on prayer that anyone could read, is the Bible. While reading books about prayer is good, I think the best way to learn to pray, is to spend time in God's Word, and then to actually pray. The best way to learn to pray is to do it. I am not knocking books on prayer. As I said, I have a couple in my library and there are one or two more I would like to read and add someday. But I am convinced that the greatest how-to book in the world is the Bible, the Word of God.

There is more to Paul's prayer here then for just more "stuff" to make his life more comfortable. There is no asking here for God to materially prosper the Colossian church with this world's riches. There is not a word that the church's budget would be met and the rent paid. Look at what Paul prays for.

First, he prays that they would be "filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." The first thing that we need, is to be heading down the same track with the Lord. So we need to make sure we know what the will of God is for our lives. God will do that through wisdom and spiritual understanding. Prayer is about aligning our will with God's will, not the other way around. Then when that happens, we will know without a doubt God's will for our lives. Next, the prayer is to "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him." In other words, if you are going to call yourself a Christian, then act like one. How does a Christian act? He walks worthy of the Lord (the key is in reading God's Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us). This will be pleasing to the Lord. Thirdly, Paul prays that the church at Colosse would be "fruitful in every good work." When God is working in our lives, we will bring forth fruit. A tree is known by its fruit, Jesus tells us. And as we spend more time in the Word, we will be, fourthly, "increasing in the knowledge of God." I do not know too many true believers who do not want to increase in their knowledge of God. We will never come to the end of God. We will never know all there is to know about our God. But we can always increase in our knowledge of Him, and that's a good thing.

The next thing that Paul prays for, is that they would be "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power." We have, beloved, the power of God in our lives - the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. The trouble is, we believe the lie of the devil that we are power-less. If the devil can keep you from realizing the power you have over him, then he has won the battle. Beloved, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Stand against the devil. Fight the good fight. And when the dust settles and the smoke clears, we are standing, with our feet firmly planted on the Rock.

Paul then prays that we have "all patience and longsuffering with joy." This is patience and longsuffering with each other, as we walk with the Lord. I have not "arrived." I don't have it all "down." And neither do you. So as we have patience and longsuffering with each other, we will have joy in our walk. In 1 John 1:7 it says, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Did you get that? If we walk with Him and have fellowship with one another, that is the key. It is by our love that the world will know we belong to Him, and conversely, it is by our lack of love that the world will see that we aren't any different from them.

Finally, know that the Father qualifies us to be partakers, not to be bystanders. We are to be involved, not sitting on the sidelines afraid to get into the game. Beloved, it is a war in which we find ourselves, with battles being fought in our lives everyday. Let us be partakers, and not be ineffective by sitting on the sidelines. In a football game, the players who make a difference and can effect the score are the ones on the field. Something to consider. Shalom

Three Things

2007-11-05T05:13:00.000-05:00

"We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit."
Colossians 1:3-8

Paul begins this letter by telling the church at Colesse that he is praying for them. Paul was a man of prayer. Even from prison; even in the most difficult of circumstances, he was a man of prayer. This is such an encouragement to me, as well as a word of exhortation. Sometimes, as believers, we relegate prayer to the last thing we can do, instead of it being the first and most important thing we can do. Prayer is a powerful thing. It aligns our hearts with the heart of God, and allows us to be in tune with God's will.

The church at Colosse had three qualities that Paul mentions here, that should be not only in the life of a fellowship, but in the life of the individual believer as well: faith in Jesus Christ, love for all the saints, and the hope of reward in heaven. As a believer, sometimes we take for granted our faith in Jesus Christ. It sounds far-fetched, I know. But once we come to Christ, born again, that is only the beginning. Our salvation is not the end, it is the beginning. Too many times believers get caught in laziness or apathy, thinking that everything is taken care of once they are born again. In one sense, that may be true, as far as destination is concerned. But throughout the New Testament, the principle is taught of serving the Lord, doing the work of the kingdom until the King returns. Jesus did the will of His Father while here on earth. We too, must be about the Lord's business, until He returns.

The second thing Paul gives thanks for, is the Colossians love for the saints. Do we have love in our lives? It is the fruit of the Spirit. Love. Jesus said that the world will know that we belong to Him, by the love we have for one another. In our world, the philosophy that the only thing that matters is me, seems to be the prevailing attitude. Society used to be governed by the Biblical principle that putting others first was what mattered. But we went from that, to the philosophy that I am more important than others, so I should go first, to what we see today: I am the only thing that matters. And it is to this world, that God calls us to love. The world sees so little of it, so I guarantee that when you begin loving your brother and sister, and your co-worker, and the people you meet on the street, and in your neighborhood, when you start loving these people, the world will notice. Paul was in prison and he heard of the love that the church at Colosse had for the saints.

And finally, Paul gives thanks for the hope that the church at Colosse had in their reward that awaited them in heaven. This hope wasn't the kind of hope that isn't sure of something but there is a chance that it might be true. No. This is the kind of hope that says that what awaits is a sure thing, I just can't have it yet. That is the hope of all the saints in Jesus Christ. Our citizenship is heaven. Our hope is in heaven. Not on this earth. So beloved, don't get so entangled in this world. We are just passing through. So take heart, beloved. One of these days, we are blasting out of here, to be finally joined with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

These three things were evidence that the church at Colosse was maturing in their walk with Christ. Paul notes that they were bringing forth fruit in their fellowship, and in their individual lives. And that is where we want to be, beloved. We want to stand in our faith in Jesus Christ. We want to be examples of love for the saints, and have our hope in heaven and not this world. That will produce fruit in my life, in your life, in our lives, and will be something the world will see. And we can be lights to a dark world around us. Be encouraged brothers and sisters. The Holy Spirit will teach us all things. It says so in His Word. Allow Him to work in your life today. Amen.

Riches

2007-11-02T05:20:00.000-04:00

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19

It seems to me, that the main goal of individuals and nations these days, is the accumulation of riches. Now, you can make your own definition of what riches are just by reading the headlines of the paper. Hollywood actors and actresses going in and out of rehab, indicating many things, the search for and accumulation of riches included, as well as a huge need in their lives. We hear of normal, average people everyday tearing apart their families, because the man or the woman all of a sudden chooses career or extra-curricular activity over their families. We read of countries imposing economic sanctions if they don't do this or if they do that. And all of this leads me one conclusion: Man, the world has a need, people have a need, and that need is met by Jesus Christ.

Now, while this isn't going to be about that "God-shaped hole" that is inside of each one of us, I do want to talk about our need. I think that it is interesting that Paul didn't write the plural, "needs," but rather used the singular form of this world, "need." This indicates to me, that there is a need in the lives of human beings which is greater than any other need in our life. It is greater than the need for water. It is greater than the need for food. It is greater than the need for shelter. It is greater than our need for each other. Yes, those are needs. But what is the one need in our lives that surpasses any other need we have? It is the need for Jesus Christ, and to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives on a daily basis.

For me, I need to go to the Holy Spirit every day, and ask Him to fill me with His power that I need again for this day. The story is told of D. L. Moody preaching on the Holy Spirit, and he was preaching on this very thing: the daily filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And after the service a woman come up to him to ask him, "You are D. L. Moody. Why do you need to be filled every day with the Holy Spirit?" And Moody replied, "Because, Ma'am, I leak." And that is all of us. We are all leaky vessels, and need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit every day. I know there are some out there who will argue that with me about the Holy Spirit's working in our lives. I know. But keeping the main thing the main thing, that Jesus Christ is Lord, and it is He who will supply all our need (and needs), we must look to Him for our strength, for our sustenance, for our provision. It is in Him we live and breathe and have our being. I encourage you, beloved, to continuously be in the Word, and in prayer, and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you today, to be a minister to others of us out there. Amen.

All Things

2007-11-01T06:02:00.000-04:00

"Not that i speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content; 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:11-13

What a statement to make, since Paul is writing this letter from prison. "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content." If we could only say that today. Amazing. For most people, we complain if it doesn't rain, and then when it rains, we complain that we haven't seen the sun in days. If it is hot, we long for cooler days. When it gets cool, we can't wait for it to be hot again. If only I could learn to just be content. And I am learning, praise God. He teaches me this in many ways throughout the day. He allows a variety of situations to come into my life, so that I can learn to just be content in whatever the situation.

Paul was one who knew what it meant to go without, and yet, he also knew what it was to have more than plenty to meet his needs. But Paul had learned something. He had learned that regardless of his physical state, he could be content in the Lord. And that is where we need to be. Just looking to the Lord for our contentment, regardless of the circumstances or situations we find ourselves in. We need not be dictated by those exterior things. But we can just look to the Lord, and be content in Him. Was teaching out of 1 Chronicles 15 - 17 last night, and looked at David, worshipping before the Lord, and how central worship is to the life of the believer. Even when the Lord told David no, to a real desire he had in his heart, David didn't whine about it. He sat before the Lord and worshipped. Why? Because He is God, and we are not. And knowing that, we can find contentment in Him.

And notice, Paul writes that famous and often quoted verse: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He doesn't say that he can do most things through Christ, and handle a few on his own. No. He says that whatever is put before him, whether it is his job, or his family, or the difficult boss, or that nasty neighbor; he can do all things through Christ. It is Christ who gives him his strength. Beloved, that is for us. Today. We too, can find our strength in Christ to enable us to do whatever is in our path this day. So be encouraged. The one who knows us best, loves us most. Just think about that one for a moment. We can look to Christ to strengthen us to do all things. Not just some things. But all things. This is a big encouragement to me, because sometimes I look at what is set before me in my life, and I think to myself, "Self, you cannot do this. It is impossible." It much the same as the children of Israel being led by Joshua 6 times around the city of Jericho, to get a good look at those walls, to be convinced that it was an impossible thing for them to do in their own strength. That is why they went around it so many times. So there was not a doubt in their mind that what was before them was impossible. But with God, all things are possible. And on the seventh time, just as God promised, those walls came crashing down.

What are you going through that seems like the walls of Jericho in your life? What in your life looks impossible right now? Know this. God makes things possible that seem impossible. And as we look to our Lord Jesus Christ, it is He who strengthens us, to enable us to do all things that are before us. Did you get that? I (we) can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (us). So be encouraged beloved, for the Lord our God is with us. Amen? Amen.

These Things

2007-10-31T05:26:00.000-04:00

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise worthy -meditate on these things. 9 the things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."
Philippians 4:8-9

Paul is writing to the believers at Philippi. They have had false teachers come in and try to lead them astray. They had taken a collection for Paul, and were sending it to him in Rome, where he was in prison. Paul is trying to encourage them, and to remind them that it isn't the keeping of the rules, regulations, and rituals that makes us Christ's. It is being born again, and putting away the former things, the old ways, and putting on the new man, and allowing Christ to work in us and through us. So he comes to the end of this little book, and speaks of the peace of God that goes far beyond human wisdom and understanding. And now, he is reminding us of the kinds of things with which we need to fill our minds and hearts, to exemplify godly character.

We as believers, even in the year in which we live, with all its technological advances and "intellectual prowess," are to think, to meditate, to reason on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. If there is anything of virtue, or if anything is worthy of praise, those are the things we are to think upon, to meditate upon. The world's tendency, and even in the church, our tendency is to think about what is lowly, the latest gossip, getting even, how to cut corners and not get caught, things not so lovely, believing and taking part in character assassination, and it is no wonder we are not making a difference out there. As believers, we need to be different than the world. So much so that there is a marked difference, not just a difference on the inside. The way we act needs to be different. The way we speak needs to be different. We need not be gossiping, because the world does that (not to mention that the Bible warns against it). We need not be conniving and sneaking behind peoples backs. We need not be letting words come out of our mouths that are not seasoned with peace. And we all have been guilty of this. But it is time for Christians to be Christians in more than in name only. It is time to realize that the church is not for us, but that we are the church, and that we exist for God.

So my encouragement this morning, beloved, is to make it a point in our lives as believers, to ignore the tendency to believe the worst about someone, and look for the positive. Look for the higher purpose, the thread or glimpse of God's truth in a situation, how we can keep our hands out of and off of a situation and allow God to work His justice. Let us make it a point to focus our gaze on the purity of God, not the impurities of men, and let us allow the goodness of God to reach into our hearts as we go through the darkness, and allow Him to touch us in the deepness and softness of our hearts. Let us concentrate on perpetuating the goodness of fellow believers, instead of looking for the bad to make ourselves feel better. Let us look for the virtue in people, not their faults, and then let us give praise to God for that.

Here is the thing. When we meditate on these things which Paul lists here: what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, having any virtue, anything praiseworthy, the focus moves from human beings, to the Creator of human beings. Our focus shifts from "Look what he did to me" to "Wow, God! You are so awesome!" And that is the better thing anyway. Is it hard work? Sometimes. Will it take effort on my part? You bet. Will I get burned in the process? Perhaps. But as Paul writes to these Phlippians from his jail cell, he can rejoice in the Lord, because his circumstances are not his focus; people are not his focus. He is focused on Jesus Christ. And when we do that, beloved, all the pettiness that this world and the devil wants us to get caught up in, just fades away, because when it is all about Christ, then it is for sure not about us. Amen? Amen.

Peace

2007-10-30T06:12:00.000-04:00

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:4-7

The world in which we live is in turmoil. There is a constant cry for peace. Peace in the Middle East seems to be the focus these days. But there will not ever be peace in that region, until the Lord Himself comes to set up His kingdom on earth. Russia aligning itself with Iran, setting the stage for the fulfillment of prophecy (see Ezekiel 38 and 39). Nations threatening to wipe Israel off the map. Oil, the currency of our age, being used to set up the one world economy. The revived Roman Empire being established and gaining prominence. Israel getting ready to strike out at someone, be it Syria or Iran, no one knows for sure. The United States diminishing on the world stage as a super-power, and Russia beginning to fly tactical missions in the Bering Straights. All of this upheaval in the world today. Where is the peace?

Beloved, I know this is not the most comforting way to start a day, a daily devotional, but I do this to illustrate that we can never find our peace in this world, or in the things of this world. Our peace comes from knowing the gentle one, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is encouraging us here to, in spite of everything that goes on around us, to rejoice in the Lord. He says it twice for emphasis. And as we rejoice in the Lord, our focus is on the Lord, and His gentleness can be seen in our lives. Sometimes, we have to make a conscious decision to be gentle, when our flesh, and the world around us is telling us to lash out, to not be gentle, to show just how aggressive and war-like we can be. But beloved, the Gentle One is coming soon. The Lord is at hand.

So when the world around us is going crazy, and the events of the world seem out of control, and the circumstances of our individual lives seem to be following the same pattern, and our daily schedule seems to be ruling us, instead of us in control of it, take heart beloved, and be anxious for nothing. Let me say that word again: nothing. It is all inclusive and means everything with none left out. Cut backs on the job? Be anxious for nothing. Daycare closed its doors without warning? Be anxious for nothing. How can you say this? you ask. Because we commit these things to prayer and supplication to God, and turn it over to Him, and let Him take the load, the burden. Our "job" is not to carry the burden. Our "job" is to bring it to the Lord in prayer and supplication, and let Him carry the burden. He will work it out. And if we let our requests be made known to God, the One who created the universe and all the worlds and the stars and the planets and atoms and molecules and cells; if we do that, turn it over to Him, then beloved, we can have peace, because we know that He is in control and we are not, and that is the best thing that could be for our lives. And the peace we experience will be far beyond anything that the world can manufacture, give, or even understand. It is the peace of God in our lives.

Beloved, walk today in the peace of God, because we have taken our requests and burdens to the Lord, and we have left them there. Shalom.

Citizenship

2007-10-29T08:42:00.000-04:00

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. 4:1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved."
Philippians 3:20-4:1

There is a lot of talk about citizenship now, most of it related to the immigration issues in this country. And while I am a citizen of the United States of America, and do not take that lightly, more importantly, I am also a citizen of another place: heaven. While the responsibilities and privileges of being a U.S. citizen are important to me, the eternal consequences, as well as the responsibilities and privileges of being a citizen of heaven are so much more important to the believer. Jesus was a citizen of the state of Israel, as was Paul, And yet, they didn't get caught up in all of the surrounding "particulars" of being a citizen of this world, because our heavenly citizenship takes precedent. The responsibilities and privileges surrounding being a citizen of heaven, are the ones outlined in the Word of God. Jesus teaches on them, Paul teaches on them, and they are exemplified in the early church in the book of Acts. Love, unity, the things of the kingdom.

Therefore, Paul goes on to tell us, that in the context of having a heavenly citizenship, that our lowly body of flesh and bones that we now carry around with us will not due in heaven. We will be "conformed" to His glorious body. Because we are justified and sanctified, we will be glorified. We will be given a new body for our new home. And it is through the working, the same energy, if you will, the same operation, the same effectual working by which He subdues all things unto Himself. Now that is power. And that is another thing. As believers, we have so much power available to us, through the Holy Spirit. Did you know that the power that raised Jesus from the dead, resides in us, through the Holy Spirit? He does. We will talk about that another day. But know this: as a believer in Jesus Christ, we can rest in Him, and know that He is our rest, He is our strength, and He is our sustenance. I guess what I am saying to all of you, my beloved, is what Paul is saying to the church at Philippi: stand fast in the Lord. Don't lose heart by what the devil throws in your path, or before your eyes. Just stand fast in Him.

The church at Philippi was undergoing false teachers that had come in behind Paul, and was telling them that Jesus was good, but they needed Jesus AND the law. In our own lives, we have so many things, and so many schedule demands pulling at us from all directions and competing for our time. Beloved, don't let all of that get in the way of our standing strong in the Lord. It is easy to do, to get our focus out of whack, and the devil knows it. So he throws all kinds of stuff in front of you to trip you up and to get you out of focused. But as the brand of apparel tells us, we need to be cross-eyed. Look to the cross. Lay your life down, there at the cross. Leave your burdens there at the cross. Bring all your hurts of heart there, to the cross. Rest in Him, be strong in Him, stand in Him. Relax in Him. He is our Savior and our Lord. Amen.

Press On

2007-10-26T05:18:00.000-04:00

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but i press on, that i may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:12-14

Have you ever wanted to quit? To give up? To just throw in the towel and call it quits? We all have. We all have been falsely accused of saying or doing things that wear on us and just want us to stop, to leave, to quit. I guess if anyone had a "right" to do that, it would be Paul. Five times he received the 39 lashes. Three times he was beaten with rods. Once he was stoned (with rocks) and left for dead, and three times he was shipwrecked. The man went through hell on earth, because of the gospel he preached. And he doesn't tell us these things arrogantly. He tells us these things as an encouragement.

Paul is telling us, that the most important thing is not that his body had gone through physical torment, but that pressing on toward the "upward call of God in Christ Jesus" is what is primary. I recently have been lied to and lied about, by people whom I thought were my friends, and that can hurt. But their pettiness and lying are not what is important. What is important is the call, for which I must press on.

As a pastor, I have found that people can do some pretty incredible things, both for and against the kingdom of God. And Paul here, is telling us, that even he has not attained perfection, that he still makes mistakes, still hasn't "arrived." What he does is press on, even through all of the "stuff" that he has had to go through. Why? Because of his focus on Christ Jesus our Lord. He is the reason we do what we do. He is the focus of our life. Sometimes I have forgotten that, and have gotten my eyes on people, instead of Jesus. And that is when I have started sinking, just as Peter did that day out on the water with Jesus.

But I repent of that, and continue to press on..."forgetting those things which are behind." You know, we as humans can dwell on the past to the point which we begin living there. That is not good. We need to forget the past. Focus only on what is ahead. God has called us to some marvelous things. We must fix our eyes on Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith."

Paul says, "I haven't arrived yet." Neither have you or me. None of us have. Sometimes we are held to a standard by people, who cannot keep the very standard to which they hold you. In the words of a friend from New York City, "Fuhgetaboutit!" Press on, my beloved brothers and sisters. Fix your eyes on Jesus, focus on Him, and let the rest of the dross and garbage fall away from your life. When those people who come to your church simply for the social aspect try to pull you in, press on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Be encouraged! God really and truly loves you, and wants the best for your life. So reach forward to attain that. Forget what is behind. Don't keep bringing it up to rehash it. Leave it back there alongside the road. And press on. Amen? Amen.

Flesh

2007-10-25T06:36:00.000-04:00

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed to His death, 11 if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."
Philippians 3:7-11

You see it everywhere. On billboards, in magazines, even right there in your living room. What is it? Advertising. The world of corporate America has researched you to find out what appeals to you, and what kind of advertising gets you to buy certain products, and then they use that information against you. Ever find yourself thinking, "I have just got to get me one of those"? It is probably due to the subconscious seed that has been planted in your brain by advertising. Slick ad campaigns wage war against your logic and intellect, to pull you into walking in your flesh. We find ourselves working harder and harder, to have nicer and nicer things, and then having to work harder and harder to keep them, but never having the time to really enjoy them. So what's the point? The devil knows the pull of certain things on your flesh, and so he orchestrates behind the scenes certain situations to pull your flesh in certain ways, so that your eyes will not be upon Christ.

Position, power, prestige, and paycheck keep pushing us to exhaustion, filling up our time to work, work, work, buy, buy, buy. And we wonder why so many Americans are depressed, and on anti-depressants. We strive for that new position, that will give us the corner office, or make us foreman of the crew, or whatever, to give us the power our ego needs to feed on, so that we will have prestige in the eyes of our neighbors and acquaintances, and hopefully will bring about a better looking paycheck. And so the cycle continues, as we seek to store up for ourselves treasures on earth, motivated by the desires of the flesh.

Paul here, is telling us he had it all: position - he was a Pharisee; power - he was a member of the Sanhedrin; prestige - trained by Gamaliel, one of the best in the land; paycheck - the persecutor of Christians. And yet, he counted all the things that he gained for the flesh and by the flesh, he counted them all as loss, for the sake of knowing Jesus Christ. In fact, he calls these things "rubbish," which is better translated "dung," or in other words, a load of crap (I apologize for the crass-ness). What he is saying, and I too believe it to be true, is that the things that we can earn and accomplish in the flesh, are just a load of crap compared to the privilege of knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And not just knowing about Him, but actually knowing Him.

It means, beloved, that we have such a close relationship with Him, that we know and experience the power of the resurrection in our lives, That is, that we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, and appropriate that power in our lives, the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead. And not only that (and here is where some fall away), is in the knowing the fellowship of His sufferings. Ever had a friend betray you? Jesus knows all about that. Ever been called names? Jesus knows all about that. Ever been labelled as something you're not? Jesus knows all about that. Ever been mocked for what you believe in? Jesus knows all about that. We are comforted in His death, because when you are dead, nothing more can get to you, or hurt, or anything. It is hard for a dead man to be somebody. Matthew 6:20 tells us to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to store up treasures in our garage. Beloved, what is more important, the kingdom of earth, or the kingdom of heaven? We say the kingdom of heaven, but then act like the most important is the kingdom of earth. Let us go out there, and begin to store up treasures in heaven, and forget about this world. It isn't our home. We are just passing through. Shalom.

Bread

2007-10-24T06:02:00.000-04:00

"And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst'."
John 6:35

Lately, the Lord has been impressing upon my heart, the image of just sitting at the feet of Jesus, and feeding on His Word that comes from His hand. Just as a shepherd provides the loving nourishment for the sheep, so too, Jesus provides nourishment for our souls from His Word. It is my prayer that we are in the Word often enough (every day is good) that we begin to recognize the voice of Him as He calls to us, and speaks to us through His Word. A lot of times, He speaks to us, but we just don't recognize His voice. Let us be in the Word, beloved, so that we can recognize the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts.

In this day of diets and a focus on what we eat, I read this verse and think about what it would be like to never physically hunger again. In America, and perhaps around the world, I'm not sure, but we have made eating not a necessity, but an entertainment event. Never having to worry about being hungry again, physically, would mean a lot of time and energy normally spent on thinking and planning eating events, now could be spent focused on other things. In the same way, spiritually, Jesus is telling us here, that He is our sustenance, and that we need not look anywhere else but to Him for our fulfillment. He is our provider. He Himself is the provision. He is our sustenance. He nourishes us physically, and quenches that thirst of our souls.

Jesus is what it is all about. Not our church, not our personal comfort. Not what our church can do for us. It is about who Jesus is, and our relationship with Him. So beloved, concentrate on your relationship with Jesus, and let church, and people, and all the rest fade into the background. Sometimes we concentrate on what we are supposed to be doing that we lose sight of being. Am I saying that church and people are not important? No, I am not saying that at all. What I am saying is that when we concentrate on Jesus, and just sitting at His feet, and being fed by Him, then we don't have to worry so much if our pastor is feeding us, because Jesus is the source, not the pastor. The pastor is just a conduit anyway. It all comes from Jesus. If we focus on Jesus, then our church life will be better, and our love for people will grow.

Jesus is the bread of life. Think about that. Never having to hunger, spiritually, again. He is the living water. Never having to thirst for those things that we think we are thirsty for, those things that we believe will quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger. Allow the Holy Spirit to take His Word, and make it alive in our lives. Let our hearts be sensitive to hear Him speak, and give us the courage to be obedient. Jesus is our life. Get into His Word, and let His Word get into you. Amen.

Beware Of Dogs

2007-10-23T05:56:00.000-04:00

"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
Philippians 3:1-3

The church at Philippi had been established by Paul, and after he had left, some false teachers had come in behind him, and began teaching these young believers, that Jesus was good, but you needed Jesus and something else for salvation. In this case, it was circumcision, or, the Law of Moses. These people would come into the fellowship, begin attending on a regular basis, get involved in the ministry, make friends, and then slowly lead them astray. Oh, it may not have been something really blatant. It may have been that they just called people on the phone, and said, "Can you believe that he really teaches that? What we really need is to do this...." They didn't really call people on the phone back then. But that is what happens now. Gossip is rampant within the church, which I am sure breaks the heart of Jesus. Nothing can kill a church more than gossip. And the Lord does not like gossipers, and they will have no place in the kingdom. And it promotes negativity and is the breeding ground of all kinds of things that are of the devil. And here at Philippi, the false teachers have come along behind Paul, and said that they need something more than Jesus. Just remember beloved, Jesus is all you need.

There are all kinds of winds that are blowing through the church these days. There is one sure way to keep from getting blown around, to and fro, by the winds of fads and false ideas that come through the church. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, and as Paul says here, to rejoice in Him, and stay focused on Him, then we won't be blown off course. The trouble comes when we take our eyes off of Jesus and His Word, and start focusing on why we are this, or why we aren't that. It doesn't matter, as long as we are doing what we have been called to do.

Beloved, we are called to worship God in the Spirit. We are believers first, as were the apostles, and then we are baptized in the Spirit, so that we walk according to the Spirit, and not walk according to the flesh. Paul says here to have no confidence in the flesh. Let us walk according to the Spirit. Let us worship Him in the Spirit. Let us rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, and walk worthy of the calling that each believer has on his or her life.

Beloved, we are the sons (and daughters) of God. Let us beware of the dogs, the evil workers, and everyone who says we need something more than Jesus. Amen.