Galatians 6:1-3 (The Message)
1 -3 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
In previous chapters the apostle has encouraged Christians to love and serve one another. Paul talked about how an angry temper would hinder our lives and keep us from showing the appropriate love for others. Paul continues to teach in the verses above about ministering to others. When someone falls into sin it is the duty of the Christian to help restore that person in a forgiving manner. Criticism should be reserved to examine one’s own self. For we are all sinners and we never know when we might need the same forgiveness granted to us. We should never think of ourselves above others; for we are sinners whose best of works to God are like filthy rags.
Imagine being in a restaurant and observing an individual nicely dressed ready for their next business appointment. Then you happen to see them drop some food on their clothes and as they get up to leave they are unaware of the stain. What should you do? The nice thing would be to make them aware of the problem. It would be embarrassing though if you tell them about the food on their clothes and then you find out you there is a glob of potato salad on your pants, which they tell you about. So we need to take care not only what we say to someone, but also how we present a problem someone. We should never think of ourselves as better for we might also have some stains on us called sin. Learn to extend grace, mercy and love to others just as Christ has done for you.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
A valuable treasure
2 Corinthians 5:8 (ESV)
8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
The apostle reminds us to stop to consider our Christian faith and the prospect of a new life with Christ in heaven. It is then we can be comforted from the troubles of this life. While we are here on earth we live to serve the Lord, but when we face our last enemy, “DEATH”, we can take courage in knowing we will be home with the Lord. When it is God’s will one should go home we can rejoice for they have left this painful world to go unto the comfort of Christ.
As Stan Caffy prepared for married life, he and his bride-to-be cleaned out their respective garages and sold everything to Goodwill. Between the two of them, they sold an assortment of clothes, bicycles, tools, computer parts, and a tattered copy of the Declaration of Independence that had been hanging in Stan's garage for the last decade. Stan's trash turned out to be another man's treasure. That particular version of the Declaration of Independence was a rare copy made in 1823. A man named Michael Sparks spotted it, and he purchased the document for $2.48. Sparks later auctioned it for $477,650. Not a bad profit. Caffy, the previous owner, was later quoted as saying, "I'm happy for the Sparks guy. If I still had it, it would still be hanging here in the garage, and I still wouldn't know it was worth all that.” [Associated Press, "Sold! One Declaration of Independence Copy," MSNBC.com (3-23-07)]
The question we should ask ourselves is do we know what the worth of our salvation is? It is a valuable treasure we don’t cash in on until we are at home with the Lord.
8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
The apostle reminds us to stop to consider our Christian faith and the prospect of a new life with Christ in heaven. It is then we can be comforted from the troubles of this life. While we are here on earth we live to serve the Lord, but when we face our last enemy, “DEATH”, we can take courage in knowing we will be home with the Lord. When it is God’s will one should go home we can rejoice for they have left this painful world to go unto the comfort of Christ.
As Stan Caffy prepared for married life, he and his bride-to-be cleaned out their respective garages and sold everything to Goodwill. Between the two of them, they sold an assortment of clothes, bicycles, tools, computer parts, and a tattered copy of the Declaration of Independence that had been hanging in Stan's garage for the last decade. Stan's trash turned out to be another man's treasure. That particular version of the Declaration of Independence was a rare copy made in 1823. A man named Michael Sparks spotted it, and he purchased the document for $2.48. Sparks later auctioned it for $477,650. Not a bad profit. Caffy, the previous owner, was later quoted as saying, "I'm happy for the Sparks guy. If I still had it, it would still be hanging here in the garage, and I still wouldn't know it was worth all that.” [Associated Press, "Sold! One Declaration of Independence Copy," MSNBC.com (3-23-07)]
The question we should ask ourselves is do we know what the worth of our salvation is? It is a valuable treasure we don’t cash in on until we are at home with the Lord.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Build your relationship with the Lord
Revelation 2:14-16 (NLT)
14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Jesus reproves the Church of Pergamam in these verses. The Christians there were following in corrupt doctrines leading to corrupt worship and corrupt teachings. They were being drawn into sin just as Balaam had drawn the Israelites into sin. [Though the church, as such, has no power to punish the persons of men, either for heresy or immorality, with corporal penalties, yet it has power to exclude them from its communion; and, if it do not so, Christ, the head and lawgiver of the church, will be displeased with it. ~ Matthew Henry]
Desmond Tutu — the Nobel peace prize winner and Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South African — famously said in a 2008 speech that, “There’s nothing more radical, nothing more revolutionary, nothing more subversive against injustice and oppression than the Bible. If you want to keep people subjugated, the last thing you place in their hands is a Bible.” For you see God’s Word is a first step in beginning to understand who God is. In Acts chapter 8 Philip met a man reading scripture and God’s spirit moved him to want to know more. So Philip shared the message of Jesus dying for our sin with this man. The man responded he believed Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The man declared he wanted to be baptized and had the chariots stopped immediately so Philip could so. When God’s Word and Spirit move you there is a desire for an immediate response. As God’s Word speaks you become closer and begin build a relationship with the Lord. This relationship is not based on man’s ideas or how the world tells you to act, but based upon what the Lord would have you do. Yes, let men build a relationship with the Lord and their submission will be to Him and not the world.
14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Jesus reproves the Church of Pergamam in these verses. The Christians there were following in corrupt doctrines leading to corrupt worship and corrupt teachings. They were being drawn into sin just as Balaam had drawn the Israelites into sin. [Though the church, as such, has no power to punish the persons of men, either for heresy or immorality, with corporal penalties, yet it has power to exclude them from its communion; and, if it do not so, Christ, the head and lawgiver of the church, will be displeased with it. ~ Matthew Henry]
Desmond Tutu — the Nobel peace prize winner and Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South African — famously said in a 2008 speech that, “There’s nothing more radical, nothing more revolutionary, nothing more subversive against injustice and oppression than the Bible. If you want to keep people subjugated, the last thing you place in their hands is a Bible.” For you see God’s Word is a first step in beginning to understand who God is. In Acts chapter 8 Philip met a man reading scripture and God’s spirit moved him to want to know more. So Philip shared the message of Jesus dying for our sin with this man. The man responded he believed Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The man declared he wanted to be baptized and had the chariots stopped immediately so Philip could so. When God’s Word and Spirit move you there is a desire for an immediate response. As God’s Word speaks you become closer and begin build a relationship with the Lord. This relationship is not based on man’s ideas or how the world tells you to act, but based upon what the Lord would have you do. Yes, let men build a relationship with the Lord and their submission will be to Him and not the world.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wisdom and discernment
Proverbs 14:15 (NLT)
15 Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps.
Solomon tells us it is foolish to believe everything we hear, to trust what seems so probable, to always count on a friend’s recollection, and to give credit to everyone who would make a vow of truth. Wisdom lends itself to caution and discernment. The prudent person will weigh the credibility of what they hear. They will examine who and how something is related to them. They will carefully weigh the facts giving judgment to what is known and to suspend judgment when facts are not present.
Henri J. M. Nouwen in The Inner Voice of Love said, “As a child of God, you need to be prudent. You cannot simply walk around in this world as if nothing and no one can harm you. You remain extremely vulnerable. The same passions that make you love God may be used by the powers of evil.” In life we need to carefully examine everything put before us without jumping to a quick conclusion. Often we look at life through filters created by our own experiences. These filters affect the way we perceive and review facts. The problem is that because of these past experiences the filters we create may cause us to jump from step A to step D without understanding what took place at step B and C. For example if you lived with someone who as soon as they got angry became abusive you might jump to the conclusion that anyone who expresses anger will turn to abusive aggressive, which is not always true. You may have a friend that repeats rumors and 90% of the time they are true. But what happens if there is a negative rumor against someone and it falls into the 10% false category. You will make a false judgment based on false fact. So be prudent and carefully consider all things, asking yourself do you really know or are you basing your information on hearsay, rumor, unsubstantiated facts or your own false beliefs. Pray God would give you the wisdom to live cautiously using discernment as your guide.
15 Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps.
Solomon tells us it is foolish to believe everything we hear, to trust what seems so probable, to always count on a friend’s recollection, and to give credit to everyone who would make a vow of truth. Wisdom lends itself to caution and discernment. The prudent person will weigh the credibility of what they hear. They will examine who and how something is related to them. They will carefully weigh the facts giving judgment to what is known and to suspend judgment when facts are not present.
Henri J. M. Nouwen in The Inner Voice of Love said, “As a child of God, you need to be prudent. You cannot simply walk around in this world as if nothing and no one can harm you. You remain extremely vulnerable. The same passions that make you love God may be used by the powers of evil.” In life we need to carefully examine everything put before us without jumping to a quick conclusion. Often we look at life through filters created by our own experiences. These filters affect the way we perceive and review facts. The problem is that because of these past experiences the filters we create may cause us to jump from step A to step D without understanding what took place at step B and C. For example if you lived with someone who as soon as they got angry became abusive you might jump to the conclusion that anyone who expresses anger will turn to abusive aggressive, which is not always true. You may have a friend that repeats rumors and 90% of the time they are true. But what happens if there is a negative rumor against someone and it falls into the 10% false category. You will make a false judgment based on false fact. So be prudent and carefully consider all things, asking yourself do you really know or are you basing your information on hearsay, rumor, unsubstantiated facts or your own false beliefs. Pray God would give you the wisdom to live cautiously using discernment as your guide.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Contentment
1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NLT)
6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
In this section of 1 Timothy 6, the Apostle Paul speaks to Timothy about false teachings and true riches. His main point is godliness and contentment by itself is a great wealth to be treasured. Paul reminds Timothy we come into this world with nothing and we depart from this world with nothing. So as long as our basic needs are met we should learn to be content with life.
C.H. Spurgeon once said, “You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled. ‘” Our sin nature causes us to always want that little bit more that we don’t have. It often drives us to buy beyond our limits. It will cause use to covet what another may have. If we can’t be happy with what we have, surely we will not be happy when we gain more. Are you content in life? Then you have received that contentment by trusting in God to meet your needs. However, if your heart is filled with covetousness then you are worshiping yourself with the riches you supply with your own greed. Pray God would give you peace and contentment with life. Build heavenly treasures that are lasting and not earthly treasures that will perish.
6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
In this section of 1 Timothy 6, the Apostle Paul speaks to Timothy about false teachings and true riches. His main point is godliness and contentment by itself is a great wealth to be treasured. Paul reminds Timothy we come into this world with nothing and we depart from this world with nothing. So as long as our basic needs are met we should learn to be content with life.
C.H. Spurgeon once said, “You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled. ‘” Our sin nature causes us to always want that little bit more that we don’t have. It often drives us to buy beyond our limits. It will cause use to covet what another may have. If we can’t be happy with what we have, surely we will not be happy when we gain more. Are you content in life? Then you have received that contentment by trusting in God to meet your needs. However, if your heart is filled with covetousness then you are worshiping yourself with the riches you supply with your own greed. Pray God would give you peace and contentment with life. Build heavenly treasures that are lasting and not earthly treasures that will perish.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Care in choosing leaders
Matthew 2:16-20 (The Message)
16-18 Herod, when he realized that the scholars had tricked him, flew into a rage. He commanded the murder of every little boy two years old and under who lived in Bethlehem and its surrounding hills. (He determined that age from information he'd gotten from the scholars.) That's when Jeremiah's sermon was fulfilled: A sound was heard in Ramah, weeping and much lament. Rachel weeping for her children, Rachel refusing all solace, Her children gone, dead and buried. 19-20 Later, when Herod died, God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt: "Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead."
King Herod upon hearing about the birth of Jesus had all boys 2 years old and under put to death. For Herod was trying to ensure no other king would take away his position. His fear, jealousy and arrogance brought about the slaughter of innocent children. Yet God had already known this was going to occur and that Jesus would return. Hosea 11.1 said, “Out of Egypt have I called my son. “
Parents once asked their young child where Jesus lives. The response was “in our basement”. They asked further and the 3 year old said that is because we keep the baby Jesus there with the wise men. The basement was where the manger scene was stored each year. The verses above tell the story of what happened after the wise men visited Herod. It was now almost 2 years after the birth of Jesus and Herod learned of this king who would one day lead the people of his nation. Out of arrogance, fear and jealousy he killed the young boys. Some might say God allowed these children to be killed. It could be said a cruel and unjust king killed innocent children. Or it could also be said the people had placed their faith above God in a king who was unjust and they received the consequences of their decision. I believe it was the consequences for allowing an unjust king to rule over them. We need to be careful in our choice of leaders for we never know what rules they may impose upon us.
And as a point of trivia, the Wise Men were never at the manger where Jesus was born, but instead went to the home of Joseph and Mary years later. Only shepherds, the most common of man was there to witness the birth of our Lord and Savior.
16-18 Herod, when he realized that the scholars had tricked him, flew into a rage. He commanded the murder of every little boy two years old and under who lived in Bethlehem and its surrounding hills. (He determined that age from information he'd gotten from the scholars.) That's when Jeremiah's sermon was fulfilled: A sound was heard in Ramah, weeping and much lament. Rachel weeping for her children, Rachel refusing all solace, Her children gone, dead and buried. 19-20 Later, when Herod died, God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt: "Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead."
King Herod upon hearing about the birth of Jesus had all boys 2 years old and under put to death. For Herod was trying to ensure no other king would take away his position. His fear, jealousy and arrogance brought about the slaughter of innocent children. Yet God had already known this was going to occur and that Jesus would return. Hosea 11.1 said, “Out of Egypt have I called my son. “
Parents once asked their young child where Jesus lives. The response was “in our basement”. They asked further and the 3 year old said that is because we keep the baby Jesus there with the wise men. The basement was where the manger scene was stored each year. The verses above tell the story of what happened after the wise men visited Herod. It was now almost 2 years after the birth of Jesus and Herod learned of this king who would one day lead the people of his nation. Out of arrogance, fear and jealousy he killed the young boys. Some might say God allowed these children to be killed. It could be said a cruel and unjust king killed innocent children. Or it could also be said the people had placed their faith above God in a king who was unjust and they received the consequences of their decision. I believe it was the consequences for allowing an unjust king to rule over them. We need to be careful in our choice of leaders for we never know what rules they may impose upon us.
And as a point of trivia, the Wise Men were never at the manger where Jesus was born, but instead went to the home of Joseph and Mary years later. Only shepherds, the most common of man was there to witness the birth of our Lord and Savior.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Compassionate heart
Philippians 2:1-4 (NLT)
1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
The apostle starts by asking several rhetorical questions. He wants them to see how Christ has changed their life for the good of one another. Then he encourages them to work together, being humble and taking interest in others. For each believer is a member of the body of Christ and serves a purpose to help others.
The Investigative Discovery Cable Channel launched a new show last night called Hookers: Saved on the strip. This show is about a Christian ministry, Hookers for Jesus, started by Annie Lobert in Las Vegas to help women get out of the adult business that has ensnared them. Her husband Oz Fox of the Christian Heavy Metal Band, Stryper, supports her in this ministry. You see Annie was once in the adult business herself, but Jesus saved her and set her free. Her family thought she would never be able to find a husband who could love her because of her past, but Oz Fox loves her for who she is and accepts her past. Jesus is a big part of their lives. Because of Annie’s past and the love of Jesus she is able to relate to other women in the adult business and love on them with a tender and compassionate heart. She takes on the interest of others by helping them get out of the adult business, providing them housing, food, and other needs as they make the transition away from their previous lifestyle. It is a tough journey for some; jobs are hard to find and the jobs that are available pay a lot lower than what they were earning. God bless those who support this ministry for they partner with Annie in showing compassion to those who are in desperate need of it. Pray God would open your heart to love others, put aside self to serve others, and look out for others who need help.
1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
The apostle starts by asking several rhetorical questions. He wants them to see how Christ has changed their life for the good of one another. Then he encourages them to work together, being humble and taking interest in others. For each believer is a member of the body of Christ and serves a purpose to help others.
The Investigative Discovery Cable Channel launched a new show last night called Hookers: Saved on the strip. This show is about a Christian ministry, Hookers for Jesus, started by Annie Lobert in Las Vegas to help women get out of the adult business that has ensnared them. Her husband Oz Fox of the Christian Heavy Metal Band, Stryper, supports her in this ministry. You see Annie was once in the adult business herself, but Jesus saved her and set her free. Her family thought she would never be able to find a husband who could love her because of her past, but Oz Fox loves her for who she is and accepts her past. Jesus is a big part of their lives. Because of Annie’s past and the love of Jesus she is able to relate to other women in the adult business and love on them with a tender and compassionate heart. She takes on the interest of others by helping them get out of the adult business, providing them housing, food, and other needs as they make the transition away from their previous lifestyle. It is a tough journey for some; jobs are hard to find and the jobs that are available pay a lot lower than what they were earning. God bless those who support this ministry for they partner with Annie in showing compassion to those who are in desperate need of it. Pray God would open your heart to love others, put aside self to serve others, and look out for others who need help.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Dependence upon GOd
Proverbs 8:22-31 (The Message)
22 -31 God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic— before he did anything else. I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start. I arrived on the scene before Ocean, yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes. Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape, I was already there, newborn; Long before God stretched out Earth's Horizons, and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather, And set Sky firmly in place, I was there. When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean, built the vast vault of Heaven, and installed the fountains that fed Ocean, When he drew a boundary for Sea, posted a sign that said no trespassing, And then staked out Earth's Foundations, I was right there with him, making sure everything fit. Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company, Delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family.
Wisdom is given personal properties and actions in these verses and is spoken of as in reference to Christ. Jesus was with God from the beginning of creation until He was sovereignly brought into this world as man. Jesus, just as The Father, delighted in the creation of man and He also celebrated mankind.
As parents when our children come into this world we delight in them, want the best for them, and want to protect them. When they are small and dependent upon us they easy give us hugs and eagerly want to be with us. As they grow older the hugs come less frequently and we find they don’t want to be with us as much. Most of this is from the awkwardness of adolescence, but it is also because they are trying to find their independence. The parental rules given out of love to protect and preserve start being viewed as a jail sentence. They want to be free of us and free of these rules forgetting that what we do is because of our love for them. The question is how do we react to God’s delight and love for us? When God places His hand of discipline upon us do we feel comforted or do we want to resist. When God is walking with us do we want to pull away or do we want to pull close? We can be just like a teenager wanting our independence from God, but that independence can and will pull us away from God. Remember God is pursuing you out of love. Remember God delights in you. Instead of looking for independence from God look for dependence upon God.
22 -31 God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic— before he did anything else. I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start. I arrived on the scene before Ocean, yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes. Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape, I was already there, newborn; Long before God stretched out Earth's Horizons, and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather, And set Sky firmly in place, I was there. When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean, built the vast vault of Heaven, and installed the fountains that fed Ocean, When he drew a boundary for Sea, posted a sign that said no trespassing, And then staked out Earth's Foundations, I was right there with him, making sure everything fit. Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company, Delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family.
Wisdom is given personal properties and actions in these verses and is spoken of as in reference to Christ. Jesus was with God from the beginning of creation until He was sovereignly brought into this world as man. Jesus, just as The Father, delighted in the creation of man and He also celebrated mankind.
As parents when our children come into this world we delight in them, want the best for them, and want to protect them. When they are small and dependent upon us they easy give us hugs and eagerly want to be with us. As they grow older the hugs come less frequently and we find they don’t want to be with us as much. Most of this is from the awkwardness of adolescence, but it is also because they are trying to find their independence. The parental rules given out of love to protect and preserve start being viewed as a jail sentence. They want to be free of us and free of these rules forgetting that what we do is because of our love for them. The question is how do we react to God’s delight and love for us? When God places His hand of discipline upon us do we feel comforted or do we want to resist. When God is walking with us do we want to pull away or do we want to pull close? We can be just like a teenager wanting our independence from God, but that independence can and will pull us away from God. Remember God is pursuing you out of love. Remember God delights in you. Instead of looking for independence from God look for dependence upon God.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
December 7th
James 4:1-3 (NLT)
1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
The Apostle James gives an explanation for quarrels, fights and wars that break out among people. These wars come from a jealous desire to have what others have which leads to a desire to take it from the person who has it. There are two problems, one they probably have not consulted with God before acting to do so; two their motives are entirely self-motivated without regard for others.
December 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called this day “A day which will live in infamy.” On this day we observe the ultimate sacrifice of many Americans in the Pacific on Dec. 7 and mark the moment that we committed ourselves to fight the good fight. Fighting is never pleasant, never desired, but is necessary to defend against those who attack in war. We pray God will bring peace and that God will deliver this country safely through the battle. The Bible tells us there are many wars yet to be fought so let us not turn from God, but always ask God for the right direction and causes to pursue. Let not our motives for war be out of jealous desire, but rightly justified in God’s eyes. For those who have served this country faithfully, God bless you. For those who have lost loved ones who have served I pray God grant you peace and mercy. And for all other I pray God will watch over this country and we would follow Him.
1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
The Apostle James gives an explanation for quarrels, fights and wars that break out among people. These wars come from a jealous desire to have what others have which leads to a desire to take it from the person who has it. There are two problems, one they probably have not consulted with God before acting to do so; two their motives are entirely self-motivated without regard for others.
December 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called this day “A day which will live in infamy.” On this day we observe the ultimate sacrifice of many Americans in the Pacific on Dec. 7 and mark the moment that we committed ourselves to fight the good fight. Fighting is never pleasant, never desired, but is necessary to defend against those who attack in war. We pray God will bring peace and that God will deliver this country safely through the battle. The Bible tells us there are many wars yet to be fought so let us not turn from God, but always ask God for the right direction and causes to pursue. Let not our motives for war be out of jealous desire, but rightly justified in God’s eyes. For those who have served this country faithfully, God bless you. For those who have lost loved ones who have served I pray God grant you peace and mercy. And for all other I pray God will watch over this country and we would follow Him.
Monday, December 6, 2010
God's peace
Romans 5:1-2 (KJV)
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The sacrifice of Jesus brought about justification of our sin, which by our faith in Jesus Christ brings peace with God and reconcilement unto Him. Also with our faith in Christ we have access to the grace of God, and we will be able to stand boldly in front of God to rejoice in the glorious life He has reserved for us.
When we move away from God we lose peace in our lives. I’m not saying we won’t ever have struggles or difficulties when we are close to God. What I am saying is that moving away from God will cause us to miss out on the peace He gives us to handle very difficult situations. When Paul was in jail, bound in chains, sitting in a dark, damp cavern; Paul still found peace because he was close to God. He was able to express joy through song because He understood God was with him. For you see God is peace and without God we lose sight of what peace should look like. Galatians 5:22 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness and faith. In our relationship with God He provides us with the tools to cope with life even under difficult circumstances. When you find yourself not feeling very peaceful, take a moment to think about what might be moving you away from God. Are you harboring resentment towards another? Are you involved in sinful actions that move you further from God? Whatever it might be God will restore you if you repent and turn back to Him. Rest on God’s peace and find the happiness you need in your life.
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The sacrifice of Jesus brought about justification of our sin, which by our faith in Jesus Christ brings peace with God and reconcilement unto Him. Also with our faith in Christ we have access to the grace of God, and we will be able to stand boldly in front of God to rejoice in the glorious life He has reserved for us.
When we move away from God we lose peace in our lives. I’m not saying we won’t ever have struggles or difficulties when we are close to God. What I am saying is that moving away from God will cause us to miss out on the peace He gives us to handle very difficult situations. When Paul was in jail, bound in chains, sitting in a dark, damp cavern; Paul still found peace because he was close to God. He was able to express joy through song because He understood God was with him. For you see God is peace and without God we lose sight of what peace should look like. Galatians 5:22 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness and faith. In our relationship with God He provides us with the tools to cope with life even under difficult circumstances. When you find yourself not feeling very peaceful, take a moment to think about what might be moving you away from God. Are you harboring resentment towards another? Are you involved in sinful actions that move you further from God? Whatever it might be God will restore you if you repent and turn back to Him. Rest on God’s peace and find the happiness you need in your life.
Friday, December 3, 2010
How do you live
Philippians 2:14 (KJV))
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
The apostle starts this passage with the thought that all of God’s commands should be done without complaint or argument. This is done so that others may see you as ….(v. 15) blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
A parrot named Charlie could not fly because its wings had been clipped. The owner would put Charlie out in their garden to enjoy the outdoors, but one day a brisk gust of wind helped Charlie take off. According to the news report Charlie was found a day and a half later. It took 30 people with a boom truck to rescue Charlie from a tree. The reaction of the African Grey parrot as soon as it was rescued was telling everyone to ‘**** off.’ The owner said those were his favorite “swear words”, undoubtedly the owners too. The actor, speaker Will Rogers once said, “Live so that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.” Through Christ God has shown us how to live. In His word we have been told to do so without argument or complaint. What would your family, your parrot, say about the way you live?
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
The apostle starts this passage with the thought that all of God’s commands should be done without complaint or argument. This is done so that others may see you as ….(v. 15) blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
A parrot named Charlie could not fly because its wings had been clipped. The owner would put Charlie out in their garden to enjoy the outdoors, but one day a brisk gust of wind helped Charlie take off. According to the news report Charlie was found a day and a half later. It took 30 people with a boom truck to rescue Charlie from a tree. The reaction of the African Grey parrot as soon as it was rescued was telling everyone to ‘**** off.’ The owner said those were his favorite “swear words”, undoubtedly the owners too. The actor, speaker Will Rogers once said, “Live so that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.” Through Christ God has shown us how to live. In His word we have been told to do so without argument or complaint. What would your family, your parrot, say about the way you live?
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Wisdom
Proverbs 2:11 (NLT)
11 Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.
Solomon writes on the virtues of wisdom and in this verse points out wisdom will watch over and preserve those who seek it. Wisdom keeps us from the paths of sin that lead to ruin. God is the originator and provider of wisdom and wisdom should be used to guide our life and arm us against the temptations of the world.
In the Autobiography of George Muller the following quote is given on wisdom. “I need not despair because the living God is my partner. I do not have sufficient wisdom to meet these difficulties, but He is able to direct me. I can pour out my heart to God and ask Him to guide and direct me and to supply me with wisdom. Then I have to believe that He will do so. I can go with good courage to my business and expect help from Him in the next difficulty that may come before me.” On the show Who Wants to be a Millionaire the host of the show will ask the contestant, “Is that your final answer?” It is the contestants last opportunity to get the answer right before making a commitment to it. They have an opportunity to ask a friend for the answer, to ask the audience or narrow the choices down. When we face temptation in life God has given us the wisdom to stop and ponder what we are about to do. If we are uncertain we can ask God, we can ask wise friends, or ask those who are wise in the church for guidance. We have the wisdom to face sin and make the right choices if only we make that choice. Pray for God’s wisdom and put it to use in your life.
11 Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.
Solomon writes on the virtues of wisdom and in this verse points out wisdom will watch over and preserve those who seek it. Wisdom keeps us from the paths of sin that lead to ruin. God is the originator and provider of wisdom and wisdom should be used to guide our life and arm us against the temptations of the world.
In the Autobiography of George Muller the following quote is given on wisdom. “I need not despair because the living God is my partner. I do not have sufficient wisdom to meet these difficulties, but He is able to direct me. I can pour out my heart to God and ask Him to guide and direct me and to supply me with wisdom. Then I have to believe that He will do so. I can go with good courage to my business and expect help from Him in the next difficulty that may come before me.” On the show Who Wants to be a Millionaire the host of the show will ask the contestant, “Is that your final answer?” It is the contestants last opportunity to get the answer right before making a commitment to it. They have an opportunity to ask a friend for the answer, to ask the audience or narrow the choices down. When we face temptation in life God has given us the wisdom to stop and ponder what we are about to do. If we are uncertain we can ask God, we can ask wise friends, or ask those who are wise in the church for guidance. We have the wisdom to face sin and make the right choices if only we make that choice. Pray for God’s wisdom and put it to use in your life.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Searching for good within evil
Ecclesiastes 6:10-12 (ESV)
10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
Quoting Matthew Henry, “Solomon lays down his conclusion which he had undertaken to prove, as that which was fully confirmed by the foregoing discourse: There be many things that increase vanity; the life of man is vain, at the best, and there are abundance of accidents that concur to make it more so; even that which pretends to increase the vanity and make it more vexatious……. Thoughtful people are in care to do everything for the best, if they knew it; but as it is an instance of the corruption of our hearts that we are apt to desire that as good for us which is really hurtful, as children that cry for knives to cut their fingers with, so is it an instance of the vanity of this world that what, according to all probable conjectures, seems to be for the best, often proves otherwise; such is our shortsightedness concerning the issues and events of things, and such broken reeds are all our creature-confidences. We know not how to advise others for the best, nor how to act ourselves, because that which we apprehend likely to be for our welfare may become a trap. ”
Ever since Adam and Eve took from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, man has been searching in vain to understand what is good and what is evil. In fact most of what we call religion is based on man’s search to understand the difference and to establish good in the lives of people. What we forget is God was right there with Adam and Eve to explain the difference. In their walks with God they had the opportunity to listen to God and hear directly what we might tell a child, “Don’t touch that or you will get burned.” Sin burns when we can’t see it for what it is. We need to stop trying to find out for ourselves what is good and what is evil and instead turn to God for the answers. We need to fellowship with God, listen to what He says and put His words into action. The Bible like a diary does not replace teaching us who a person is, but tells us about their thoughts. If we want to know them intimately then we need to spend time with them and grow in our relationship with them. We need to do that with God so we understand His will for our lives.
10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
Quoting Matthew Henry, “Solomon lays down his conclusion which he had undertaken to prove, as that which was fully confirmed by the foregoing discourse: There be many things that increase vanity; the life of man is vain, at the best, and there are abundance of accidents that concur to make it more so; even that which pretends to increase the vanity and make it more vexatious……. Thoughtful people are in care to do everything for the best, if they knew it; but as it is an instance of the corruption of our hearts that we are apt to desire that as good for us which is really hurtful, as children that cry for knives to cut their fingers with, so is it an instance of the vanity of this world that what, according to all probable conjectures, seems to be for the best, often proves otherwise; such is our shortsightedness concerning the issues and events of things, and such broken reeds are all our creature-confidences. We know not how to advise others for the best, nor how to act ourselves, because that which we apprehend likely to be for our welfare may become a trap. ”
Ever since Adam and Eve took from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, man has been searching in vain to understand what is good and what is evil. In fact most of what we call religion is based on man’s search to understand the difference and to establish good in the lives of people. What we forget is God was right there with Adam and Eve to explain the difference. In their walks with God they had the opportunity to listen to God and hear directly what we might tell a child, “Don’t touch that or you will get burned.” Sin burns when we can’t see it for what it is. We need to stop trying to find out for ourselves what is good and what is evil and instead turn to God for the answers. We need to fellowship with God, listen to what He says and put His words into action. The Bible like a diary does not replace teaching us who a person is, but tells us about their thoughts. If we want to know them intimately then we need to spend time with them and grow in our relationship with them. We need to do that with God so we understand His will for our lives.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Be Salt
2 Timothy 2:20-21 (NLT)
20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
The apostle speaks in a metaphor about those who maintain and persevere in their faith and those who have allowed their faith to fall. Either can be used by God, but those who maintain and persevere in their faith can be used for special occasions and are called to perform honorable tasks for God.
While salt is used as a preservative, it is used mainly in present times to add flavor to food. Some foods just do not taste right without the presence of salt. Salt is meant to enhance the taste of food, but it is not used to take away or call attention to the salt. When something is salted properly we don’t say, ‘Yum that salt tastes good’, but instead we comment on the flavor of the food we salted. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” As Christians we are to be salt to others. We are to enhance other Christian lives. We are to bring out the best in them by being the best we can. Be salt to others by maintaining your faith in Christ.
20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
The apostle speaks in a metaphor about those who maintain and persevere in their faith and those who have allowed their faith to fall. Either can be used by God, but those who maintain and persevere in their faith can be used for special occasions and are called to perform honorable tasks for God.
While salt is used as a preservative, it is used mainly in present times to add flavor to food. Some foods just do not taste right without the presence of salt. Salt is meant to enhance the taste of food, but it is not used to take away or call attention to the salt. When something is salted properly we don’t say, ‘Yum that salt tastes good’, but instead we comment on the flavor of the food we salted. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” As Christians we are to be salt to others. We are to enhance other Christian lives. We are to bring out the best in them by being the best we can. Be salt to others by maintaining your faith in Christ.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Restore our thanksgiving
Revelation 7:9-12 (NLT)
9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a mighty shout, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
In the revelation given to John, John sees a crowd to vast to number or count. There are people from every country and different races all standing before The Living Christ. They give praise and thanksgiving to God and Christ for the salvation they have received. Their shouts of praise turned to song as they worship God and Christ, praising them for who they are.
Today is the day before our national holiday of Thanksgiving. However let’s be real for a moment and say there are some people who feel they cannot enjoy giving thanks. They have been wounded and hurt. They have been devastated or grieved by the loss of loved ones. They are overwhelmed by the situations of life and feel no hope. The apostle said in Romans 15:13 NLT translation, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” I offer that pray today. May God restore your joy, may God restore your hope, and may God heal and restore whatever has been broken. May we once again lift our voices in giving thanks to you?
Heavenly Father, You have blessed us with your son Jesus who is our hope of salvation. Let us start there to give thanks. Let our hope continue in Jesus that He would bring joy, peace and trust into our lives. God encourage us to give thanks because you have poured your love, mercy, grace and salvation upon us. Provide hope, a light to show the way, and a smiling, caring face who understands. Lord I thank you for hearing our prayers. Bless us Lord and restore the joy of our salvation. In Jesus name, Amen
9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a mighty shout, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
In the revelation given to John, John sees a crowd to vast to number or count. There are people from every country and different races all standing before The Living Christ. They give praise and thanksgiving to God and Christ for the salvation they have received. Their shouts of praise turned to song as they worship God and Christ, praising them for who they are.
Today is the day before our national holiday of Thanksgiving. However let’s be real for a moment and say there are some people who feel they cannot enjoy giving thanks. They have been wounded and hurt. They have been devastated or grieved by the loss of loved ones. They are overwhelmed by the situations of life and feel no hope. The apostle said in Romans 15:13 NLT translation, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” I offer that pray today. May God restore your joy, may God restore your hope, and may God heal and restore whatever has been broken. May we once again lift our voices in giving thanks to you?
Heavenly Father, You have blessed us with your son Jesus who is our hope of salvation. Let us start there to give thanks. Let our hope continue in Jesus that He would bring joy, peace and trust into our lives. God encourage us to give thanks because you have poured your love, mercy, grace and salvation upon us. Provide hope, a light to show the way, and a smiling, caring face who understands. Lord I thank you for hearing our prayers. Bless us Lord and restore the joy of our salvation. In Jesus name, Amen
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Made acceptable
Romans 14:17-18 (The Message)
17 -18 God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.
The apostle speaks to the heart of Christianity; the Christian Life is not about trivial rules or laws; it is about allowing God to work in their life through Christ. The Christian should have one purpose in mind and that is to serve Christ. In serving Christ one not only pleases God, but also proves themself to those who see and hear their actions.
The Bible says in 1 John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Propitiation is not a word commonly use in everyday language so I refer to the Webster’s dictionary. Webster’s says propitiation is the act of propitiating, which does not help much. So look a little further to see propitiate is - to gain or regain the favor of goodwill. When man sinned we lost favor with God. Our sin made us unacceptable. However God loved us so much He gave His son Jesus Christ to die as a perfect and holy sacrifice so we could regain the favor of God’s goodwill and be made acceptable once again.
17 -18 God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.
The apostle speaks to the heart of Christianity; the Christian Life is not about trivial rules or laws; it is about allowing God to work in their life through Christ. The Christian should have one purpose in mind and that is to serve Christ. In serving Christ one not only pleases God, but also proves themself to those who see and hear their actions.
The Bible says in 1 John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Propitiation is not a word commonly use in everyday language so I refer to the Webster’s dictionary. Webster’s says propitiation is the act of propitiating, which does not help much. So look a little further to see propitiate is - to gain or regain the favor of goodwill. When man sinned we lost favor with God. Our sin made us unacceptable. However God loved us so much He gave His son Jesus Christ to die as a perfect and holy sacrifice so we could regain the favor of God’s goodwill and be made acceptable once again.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Careful of criticism
Romans 14:12-13 (NLT)
12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
The apostle wrote the church about the dangers of criticism. Christians were engaged in various arguments from what day was best to worship; what foods should be eaten and which should not; and how one was to honor the Lord. The apostle said we should quite condemning each other and instead consider ourselves and how we live out our Christian life. The apostle said we should do so in a way that keeps other believers from falling away.
A grocery store check-out clerk once wrote to advice-columnist Ann Landers to complain that she had seen people buy "luxury" food items—like birthday cakes and bags of shrimp—with their food stamps. The writer went on to say that she thought all those people on welfare who treated themselves to such non-necessities were "lazy and wasteful." A few weeks later Lander's column was devoted entirely to people who had responded to the grocery clerk. One woman wrote: I didn't buy a cake, but I did buy a big bag of shrimp with food stamps. So what? My husband had been working at a plant for fifteen years when it shut down. The shrimp casserole I made was for our wedding anniversary dinner and lasted three days. Perhaps the grocery clerk who criticized that woman would have a different view of life after walking a mile in my shoes. Another woman wrote: I'm the woman who bought the $17 cake and paid for it with food stamps. I thought the check-out woman in the store would burn a hole through me with her eyes. What she didn't know is the cake was for my little girl's birthday. It will be her last. She has bone cancer and will probably be gone within six to eight months. [Terrie Williams, The Personal Touch (Warner Books, 1994)]
Sometimes we are quick to criticize because we have created beliefs that are ours and not God’s. We see things only through the eyes of the world and miss out on what God has to say to us. Next time before being critical of someone ask God how your criticism might affect that person and what their criticism of you might be. Live in such a way that you will not cause other believers to stumble and fall.
12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
The apostle wrote the church about the dangers of criticism. Christians were engaged in various arguments from what day was best to worship; what foods should be eaten and which should not; and how one was to honor the Lord. The apostle said we should quite condemning each other and instead consider ourselves and how we live out our Christian life. The apostle said we should do so in a way that keeps other believers from falling away.
A grocery store check-out clerk once wrote to advice-columnist Ann Landers to complain that she had seen people buy "luxury" food items—like birthday cakes and bags of shrimp—with their food stamps. The writer went on to say that she thought all those people on welfare who treated themselves to such non-necessities were "lazy and wasteful." A few weeks later Lander's column was devoted entirely to people who had responded to the grocery clerk. One woman wrote: I didn't buy a cake, but I did buy a big bag of shrimp with food stamps. So what? My husband had been working at a plant for fifteen years when it shut down. The shrimp casserole I made was for our wedding anniversary dinner and lasted three days. Perhaps the grocery clerk who criticized that woman would have a different view of life after walking a mile in my shoes. Another woman wrote: I'm the woman who bought the $17 cake and paid for it with food stamps. I thought the check-out woman in the store would burn a hole through me with her eyes. What she didn't know is the cake was for my little girl's birthday. It will be her last. She has bone cancer and will probably be gone within six to eight months. [Terrie Williams, The Personal Touch (Warner Books, 1994)]
Sometimes we are quick to criticize because we have created beliefs that are ours and not God’s. We see things only through the eyes of the world and miss out on what God has to say to us. Next time before being critical of someone ask God how your criticism might affect that person and what their criticism of you might be. Live in such a way that you will not cause other believers to stumble and fall.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The burden of craving the world
1 John 2:16 (NLT)
16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
The world is used by the apostle to describe the aggregate of earthly desires. The world is a place corrupted by sin and gives man the desire to crave that which is forbidden. In this verse the apostle lists some of man’s faults, a craving for pleasure, a craving for what we see, and pride that places us and our possessions before God.
I remember the first time I tried out a weight machine at a health club. The gym instructor was showing me how to set the machine. Without paying much attention to the weight or my capabilities he made some adjustments. He said, “Go ahead and give it a try”, and as much as I wanted to I could not push up the weights. The instructor said, “I think I set the weight just a little bit high, let’s start low and work up.” With a lighter setting I was easily able to accomplish the task of lifting the weights, but as the instructor continued to raise the settings I got back to the point where I could not lift them again.
We often think we can handle sin on our own; but the world is continuously making us crave what it offers. As we try to do good to obey God the weight of sin builds up against us. Suddenly we find ourselves trying to lift a burden we cannot handle. It becomes difficult to sustain the heavy lifting of obedience and we find ourselves suddenly unable to budge the burden. It is why Jesus said for us to count on Him. For He tells us “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” When you find yourself craving the world turn to Jesus and ask Him to carry the load with you. Pray Christ would always give you the strength to do what is right and good in God’s sight.
16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
The world is used by the apostle to describe the aggregate of earthly desires. The world is a place corrupted by sin and gives man the desire to crave that which is forbidden. In this verse the apostle lists some of man’s faults, a craving for pleasure, a craving for what we see, and pride that places us and our possessions before God.
I remember the first time I tried out a weight machine at a health club. The gym instructor was showing me how to set the machine. Without paying much attention to the weight or my capabilities he made some adjustments. He said, “Go ahead and give it a try”, and as much as I wanted to I could not push up the weights. The instructor said, “I think I set the weight just a little bit high, let’s start low and work up.” With a lighter setting I was easily able to accomplish the task of lifting the weights, but as the instructor continued to raise the settings I got back to the point where I could not lift them again.
We often think we can handle sin on our own; but the world is continuously making us crave what it offers. As we try to do good to obey God the weight of sin builds up against us. Suddenly we find ourselves trying to lift a burden we cannot handle. It becomes difficult to sustain the heavy lifting of obedience and we find ourselves suddenly unable to budge the burden. It is why Jesus said for us to count on Him. For He tells us “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” When you find yourself craving the world turn to Jesus and ask Him to carry the load with you. Pray Christ would always give you the strength to do what is right and good in God’s sight.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
False Emotions Appearing Real
Hebrews 13:6 (NLT)
6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
The apostle summarizes the book of Hebrews with some advice. He has told the people of the church to love others, show hospitality, honor marriage, remain faithful, and to be satisfied with what they have. Then he goes on to remind them of God’s words, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So next we see the verse above that reminds us we should have confidence in the Lord; for God is our Helper and there is nothing to fear from others when we are with God.
I like the acronym for fear that says, “False Emotions Appearing Real.” So often our fears are based on our emotions and not facts. It may be we had one encounter in life with fear and it defined a part of us for the rest of our lives. Let’s say you share something very close and personal with another person and then you find out they spread that information as gossip. What will you fear the next time you have something you need to share? You know the answer; you will fear your intimate and personal information will be spread as gossip to other people. Even if you trust the person you are sharing with you may be hesitant to share a deep and intimate feeling. Fear of what will happen is what holds you back from connecting in your fellowship with another. But God tells us not to fear and that He can handle any situation that comes our way. Ok, so maybe someone will betray your trust, but God can handle that. Maybe you fear the emotions you want to express, but God can show you someone who will listen. Do not let fear be a hindrance to your life. Instead turn that fear over to God remembering that he will never fail you nor forsake you. In fact God just might show you how strong you are at handling fear if you allow Him to.
6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
The apostle summarizes the book of Hebrews with some advice. He has told the people of the church to love others, show hospitality, honor marriage, remain faithful, and to be satisfied with what they have. Then he goes on to remind them of God’s words, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So next we see the verse above that reminds us we should have confidence in the Lord; for God is our Helper and there is nothing to fear from others when we are with God.
I like the acronym for fear that says, “False Emotions Appearing Real.” So often our fears are based on our emotions and not facts. It may be we had one encounter in life with fear and it defined a part of us for the rest of our lives. Let’s say you share something very close and personal with another person and then you find out they spread that information as gossip. What will you fear the next time you have something you need to share? You know the answer; you will fear your intimate and personal information will be spread as gossip to other people. Even if you trust the person you are sharing with you may be hesitant to share a deep and intimate feeling. Fear of what will happen is what holds you back from connecting in your fellowship with another. But God tells us not to fear and that He can handle any situation that comes our way. Ok, so maybe someone will betray your trust, but God can handle that. Maybe you fear the emotions you want to express, but God can show you someone who will listen. Do not let fear be a hindrance to your life. Instead turn that fear over to God remembering that he will never fail you nor forsake you. In fact God just might show you how strong you are at handling fear if you allow Him to.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Our Father who loves us and want us to grow in wisdom
Philippians 1:9-11 (NLT)
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
In these verses the apostle speaks of his prayers for the Philippians. He prays their love for others will grow. He prays their knowledge and understanding of Christ will grow. He prays their lives will be lived out in purity and be found blameless. He prays that the Holy Spirit will be at work in their lives developing their character which give God the glory.
In his book, Connecting (Word, 1997), Larry Crabb writes: A friend of mine was raised in an angry family. Mealtimes were either silent or sarcastically noisy. Down the street was an old-fashioned house with a big porch where a happy family lived. My friend told me that when he was about ten, he began excusing himself from his dinner table as soon as he could without being yelled at, and walking to the old-fashioned house down the street. If he arrived during dinnertime, he would crawl under the porch and just sit there, listening to the sounds of laughter. When he told me this story, I asked him to imagine what it would have been like if the father in the house somehow knew he was huddled beneath the porch and sent his son to invite him in. I asked him to envision what it would have meant to him to accept the invitation, to sit at the table, to accidentally spill his glass of water, and hear the father roar with delight, "Get him more water! And a dry shirt! I want him to enjoy the meal!"
God our Father wants the same for us. He wants us to grown in our understanding of Him and to know we are loved. He wants us to become more like his Son and live a good a pleasing life. Pray God will continue to give you wisdom and bring you closer to Him knowing that one day you will be dining and fellowshipping in His presence.
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
In these verses the apostle speaks of his prayers for the Philippians. He prays their love for others will grow. He prays their knowledge and understanding of Christ will grow. He prays their lives will be lived out in purity and be found blameless. He prays that the Holy Spirit will be at work in their lives developing their character which give God the glory.
In his book, Connecting (Word, 1997), Larry Crabb writes: A friend of mine was raised in an angry family. Mealtimes were either silent or sarcastically noisy. Down the street was an old-fashioned house with a big porch where a happy family lived. My friend told me that when he was about ten, he began excusing himself from his dinner table as soon as he could without being yelled at, and walking to the old-fashioned house down the street. If he arrived during dinnertime, he would crawl under the porch and just sit there, listening to the sounds of laughter. When he told me this story, I asked him to imagine what it would have been like if the father in the house somehow knew he was huddled beneath the porch and sent his son to invite him in. I asked him to envision what it would have meant to him to accept the invitation, to sit at the table, to accidentally spill his glass of water, and hear the father roar with delight, "Get him more water! And a dry shirt! I want him to enjoy the meal!"
God our Father wants the same for us. He wants us to grown in our understanding of Him and to know we are loved. He wants us to become more like his Son and live a good a pleasing life. Pray God will continue to give you wisdom and bring you closer to Him knowing that one day you will be dining and fellowshipping in His presence.
Friday, November 12, 2010
The eyes of a doctor or a judge
Luke 15:1-7 (NLT)
1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! 3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
In these verses we find the religious leaders complaining about Jesus associating with noted sinners. They could not believe Jesus would even sit down and have a meal with such people. Jesus responded to them that a shepherd would do all he could to rescue one lost sheep and then rejoice when it was found and brought back to the herd. How much greater is it when a lost sinner is sought after, found, and then brought to fellowship with God. There Pharisees were shepherds of people, but they were not interested in rescuing sinners. Their interest was in condemning them for their sinful actions.
Let's suppose that on your way to work each morning, you usually stop at a Starbucks. You tend to get to the store at the same time each morning, and you usually see a young girl who gets there about the same time you do. On many mornings you find yourselves standing next to each other in line. In fact, you both order the same thing—double espresso with skim milk.
She seems to be into the gothic culture—black hair, black clothes, knee-high jackboots, black fingernails, black lipstick, piercings in the nose, lips, ears, and eyebrows, and scattered tattoos. She usually has a backpack that she has to take off to get her money, and sometimes it seems hard for her to hold the backpack, get the money, and pay for the coffee all at the same time.
She doesn't make too much eye contact with others. You wonder whether you should strike up a conversation with her—maybe offer to hold her backpack while she pays. You're not sure what to do with the whole gothic bit, and you don't know whether she'd give you a dark look and not say anything.
Should you try to be friendly? Maybe find out what brings you both to the same Starbucks each morning? See if she ever tries any of the other specialty coffees? Move toward greeting her each morning? Learn about other parts of her life? Yes! By all means! Move into her world. Make a comment one day about how the barista probably already knows both of your orders as soon as you walk in the door. Offer to hold her backpack while she pays. A couple of days later, tell her your name and ask for hers. If she misses a few days, tell her you hope she wasn't sick the next time you see her.
Why move into her world? Because with the eyes of a doctor, you see a hurt that God can heal. You see an anger and alienation. Maybe it's because of sexual abuse from a stepfather, a brother, or an old boyfriend. But you see the heaviness, the sadness. With the eyes of a doctor, you see a hurt that God can heal.
There's a man at work that everybody shakes their head at. He's been divorced a couple of times, and both of his ex-wives are suing him for past child support. He's a deadbeat dad—way behind on his support, sending them just a little bit, every so often. He's been living with another woman and her small child, but a couple of weeks ago, he slapped her around pretty hard. She called the cops, he spent a couple nights in jail, and she kicked him out and now has a restraining order against him. He's currently living in one of the cheap motels that rents by the month.
Every day at lunch, he goes out by himself to get a hamburger or a burrito, always coming back with mustard or chili on his shirt. Nobody talks very much to him, because he's too quick to complain about how everybody's taking advantage of him, everybody's pushing his buttons, everybody's squeezing him dry. Who wants to listen to that?
You've often wondered about being nice and offering to go to lunch with him. You like the same fast food he does—Burger King and Taco Bell and Subway. And you know Subway has a sale going on—three foot-long sandwiches for $10. You couldn't possibly eat that much, but it seems like a shame not to take advantage of such a bargain.
Should you invite him along one day? Yes! By all means! Move into his world. Go to lunch with him. When you get to Subway and you both sit down with your sandwiches and chips and drinks, ask him if he's watched any of the baseball playoffs. Who's he rooting for in the World Series? Mention that it's been just about the worst umpiring you've ever seen.
Why move into his world? Because with the eyes of a doctor, you see a hurt that God can heal. You see a bitterness at life, failing at relationships, blaming others instead of knowing how to change himself. You sense his fear of the future—no money, a criminal record on the books—and his desperation over being all alone in the world. With the eyes of a doctor, you see a hurt that God can heal.
Your company has a co-ed softball team that competes in the city league, and they're looking for a couple of extra players. You like softball. You like the feel of connecting on a pitch, running down a fly ball, making a clothesline throw on one hop to home plate to nail a runner trying to score. The first game is next Tuesday, and they're pushing you to join them.
But you're not sure. You like softball, but you don't know about playing with the people in the office. You went to a company picnic a couple of months ago, where there was a pickup softball game, and some of the guys were drinking a lot of beer, getting pretty raunchy in their comments about some of the women on the other team. Some of the wives of your coworkers were loud-mouthed, and they flirted with other husbands. The parents yelled mean things at their children but did nothing to control them. And in the parking lot, one of the married men from the office who had come to the picnic by himself was behind his pickup truck going at it pretty heavy with one of the single moms in the office. Do you want to deal with all that every week? Should you join the team? Yes! By all means! Move into their world. Get to the park, shag those balls, and run those bases. Bring some Cokes to put in with their beers. When one of the women on the other team lines it into a gap between center and left for a stand-up double, instead of questioning her sexual preference, shout out, "Great hit! Did you play in college?" Buy a cheap glove for the single mom's kid, ask if he wants to be batboy, have him sit beside you on the bench, and teach him the strategies of the game.
Why move into their world? Because with the eyes of a doctor, you see their hurts that God can heal. You see that the machismo and the raunchiness merely disguise insecurity and failure. You see marriages where there's no love and children that don't have the security of boundaries. You see the single mom's loneliness and vulnerability that puts her at risk of being deeply hurt. With the eyes of a doctor, you see the hurts that God can heal.
In life we can have the eyes of a judge or we can have the eyes of a doctor. The eyes of a judge see a gothic girl, a deadbeat dad, and a foul-mouthed team, leave us thinking, Why have anything to do with them? The eyes of a doctor see the hurts that God can heal. [Donald Sunukjian, in the sermon "The Eyes of a Doctor," PreachingToday.com | posted 7/12/2010]
1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! 3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
In these verses we find the religious leaders complaining about Jesus associating with noted sinners. They could not believe Jesus would even sit down and have a meal with such people. Jesus responded to them that a shepherd would do all he could to rescue one lost sheep and then rejoice when it was found and brought back to the herd. How much greater is it when a lost sinner is sought after, found, and then brought to fellowship with God. There Pharisees were shepherds of people, but they were not interested in rescuing sinners. Their interest was in condemning them for their sinful actions.
Let's suppose that on your way to work each morning, you usually stop at a Starbucks. You tend to get to the store at the same time each morning, and you usually see a young girl who gets there about the same time you do. On many mornings you find yourselves standing next to each other in line. In fact, you both order the same thing—double espresso with skim milk.
She seems to be into the gothic culture—black hair, black clothes, knee-high jackboots, black fingernails, black lipstick, piercings in the nose, lips, ears, and eyebrows, and scattered tattoos. She usually has a backpack that she has to take off to get her money, and sometimes it seems hard for her to hold the backpack, get the money, and pay for the coffee all at the same time.
She doesn't make too much eye contact with others. You wonder whether you should strike up a conversation with her—maybe offer to hold her backpack while she pays. You're not sure what to do with the whole gothic bit, and you don't know whether she'd give you a dark look and not say anything.
Should you try to be friendly? Maybe find out what brings you both to the same Starbucks each morning? See if she ever tries any of the other specialty coffees? Move toward greeting her each morning? Learn about other parts of her life? Yes! By all means! Move into her world. Make a comment one day about how the barista probably already knows both of your orders as soon as you walk in the door. Offer to hold her backpack while she pays. A couple of days later, tell her your name and ask for hers. If she misses a few days, tell her you hope she wasn't sick the next time you see her.
Why move into her world? Because with the eyes of a doctor, you see a hurt that God can heal. You see an anger and alienation. Maybe it's because of sexual abuse from a stepfather, a brother, or an old boyfriend. But you see the heaviness, the sadness. With the eyes of a doctor, you see a hurt that God can heal.
There's a man at work that everybody shakes their head at. He's been divorced a couple of times, and both of his ex-wives are suing him for past child support. He's a deadbeat dad—way behind on his support, sending them just a little bit, every so often. He's been living with another woman and her small child, but a couple of weeks ago, he slapped her around pretty hard. She called the cops, he spent a couple nights in jail, and she kicked him out and now has a restraining order against him. He's currently living in one of the cheap motels that rents by the month.
Every day at lunch, he goes out by himself to get a hamburger or a burrito, always coming back with mustard or chili on his shirt. Nobody talks very much to him, because he's too quick to complain about how everybody's taking advantage of him, everybody's pushing his buttons, everybody's squeezing him dry. Who wants to listen to that?
You've often wondered about being nice and offering to go to lunch with him. You like the same fast food he does—Burger King and Taco Bell and Subway. And you know Subway has a sale going on—three foot-long sandwiches for $10. You couldn't possibly eat that much, but it seems like a shame not to take advantage of such a bargain.
Should you invite him along one day? Yes! By all means! Move into his world. Go to lunch with him. When you get to Subway and you both sit down with your sandwiches and chips and drinks, ask him if he's watched any of the baseball playoffs. Who's he rooting for in the World Series? Mention that it's been just about the worst umpiring you've ever seen.
Why move into his world? Because with the eyes of a doctor, you see a hurt that God can heal. You see a bitterness at life, failing at relationships, blaming others instead of knowing how to change himself. You sense his fear of the future—no money, a criminal record on the books—and his desperation over being all alone in the world. With the eyes of a doctor, you see a hurt that God can heal.
Your company has a co-ed softball team that competes in the city league, and they're looking for a couple of extra players. You like softball. You like the feel of connecting on a pitch, running down a fly ball, making a clothesline throw on one hop to home plate to nail a runner trying to score. The first game is next Tuesday, and they're pushing you to join them.
But you're not sure. You like softball, but you don't know about playing with the people in the office. You went to a company picnic a couple of months ago, where there was a pickup softball game, and some of the guys were drinking a lot of beer, getting pretty raunchy in their comments about some of the women on the other team. Some of the wives of your coworkers were loud-mouthed, and they flirted with other husbands. The parents yelled mean things at their children but did nothing to control them. And in the parking lot, one of the married men from the office who had come to the picnic by himself was behind his pickup truck going at it pretty heavy with one of the single moms in the office. Do you want to deal with all that every week? Should you join the team? Yes! By all means! Move into their world. Get to the park, shag those balls, and run those bases. Bring some Cokes to put in with their beers. When one of the women on the other team lines it into a gap between center and left for a stand-up double, instead of questioning her sexual preference, shout out, "Great hit! Did you play in college?" Buy a cheap glove for the single mom's kid, ask if he wants to be batboy, have him sit beside you on the bench, and teach him the strategies of the game.
Why move into their world? Because with the eyes of a doctor, you see their hurts that God can heal. You see that the machismo and the raunchiness merely disguise insecurity and failure. You see marriages where there's no love and children that don't have the security of boundaries. You see the single mom's loneliness and vulnerability that puts her at risk of being deeply hurt. With the eyes of a doctor, you see the hurts that God can heal.
In life we can have the eyes of a judge or we can have the eyes of a doctor. The eyes of a judge see a gothic girl, a deadbeat dad, and a foul-mouthed team, leave us thinking, Why have anything to do with them? The eyes of a doctor see the hurts that God can heal. [Donald Sunukjian, in the sermon "The Eyes of a Doctor," PreachingToday.com | posted 7/12/2010]
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Live in the world without being a part of it
Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
In these verses the apostle leads us to our duty to God. We surrender ourselves to God. We must be willing to give up who we are in the world and allow Christ to work through us to transform us into a living and holy sacrifice. We allow God to work in our lives to bring a close and intimate fellowship with Him. Allowing Christ to work in our lives we learn from Him instead of copying behaviors and customs from the world.
In the New Living Translation version of The Bible, it says in Mark 2:15, “Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) “ From this verse we know Jesus did not separate himself from the sinners of the world. Jesus was around many people who the Jewish leaders considered to be very immoral. However, we also know Jesus was without sin so even though Jesus was in a setting with many immoral people, Jesus was Himself, behaving as He would and not committing sin. He was there to minister to sinners and where else could He minister if He was not right in their midst. As Christians we are called to minister to sinners. We cannot separate ourselves from them, but we can keep from following behaviors of the world. Some of us are at different points in our Christian walk. Some have matured and can restrain from sin. Other may be weak and may need to keep a distance from certain situations. For instance I met a man whose internet company filters out adult material as a service. It is his job to review a website and decide if the site needs to be blocked by the service. There are some people who may not be able to do that job. In the same way there are some Christians who may not be ready to minister to certain people. But as Christ matures us and transforms us we gain the confidence to minister without being a part of the world. Pray God would continue to transform you away from the behaviors of the world and you more towards being like Christ. Minister to those in need and do not look down on sinners, but instead graciously see their need to be removed from the sin they live in.
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
In these verses the apostle leads us to our duty to God. We surrender ourselves to God. We must be willing to give up who we are in the world and allow Christ to work through us to transform us into a living and holy sacrifice. We allow God to work in our lives to bring a close and intimate fellowship with Him. Allowing Christ to work in our lives we learn from Him instead of copying behaviors and customs from the world.
In the New Living Translation version of The Bible, it says in Mark 2:15, “Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) “ From this verse we know Jesus did not separate himself from the sinners of the world. Jesus was around many people who the Jewish leaders considered to be very immoral. However, we also know Jesus was without sin so even though Jesus was in a setting with many immoral people, Jesus was Himself, behaving as He would and not committing sin. He was there to minister to sinners and where else could He minister if He was not right in their midst. As Christians we are called to minister to sinners. We cannot separate ourselves from them, but we can keep from following behaviors of the world. Some of us are at different points in our Christian walk. Some have matured and can restrain from sin. Other may be weak and may need to keep a distance from certain situations. For instance I met a man whose internet company filters out adult material as a service. It is his job to review a website and decide if the site needs to be blocked by the service. There are some people who may not be able to do that job. In the same way there are some Christians who may not be ready to minister to certain people. But as Christ matures us and transforms us we gain the confidence to minister without being a part of the world. Pray God would continue to transform you away from the behaviors of the world and you more towards being like Christ. Minister to those in need and do not look down on sinners, but instead graciously see their need to be removed from the sin they live in.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Follow Christ - not rules
1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (NLT)
1 Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. 2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
The Apostle Paul goes on further in Corinthians to explain this comment. So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. Paul recognizes there are some new Christians practicing old rituals. There is however those who knew the one true God and now know Christ that understand the truth in regard to this matter. It is not the food that defiles, but sin. Later Paul cautions about using this liberty of understanding so as not to tempt weaker Christians.
There was a story of a faithful priest who helped the mentally challenged. The priest had gotten a young man into a health facility to help him with his mental challenges. Later the priest wanted to visit this young man and the staff at the facility was excited to hear of the upcoming visit. When the priest arrived he was taken to the Golden Room for lunch. The young man he came to see was not there so he inquired where he was. The staff responded, “Oh, patients are not allowed in the Golden Room.” At that point the priest said he would have to eat elsewhere so he could visit his friend. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to hear this priest speak the staff arranged for the young man to eat in the Golden Room. Isn’t it amazing how rules can be broken when it seems appropriate to do so? In Christ we have full freedom and while we are encouraged not to sin there are rules man has made. These rules often dominate us and we forget that Christ has called us to serve Him and not rules. Make sure Christ is leading you to do what is right, what is necessary, and what is just.
O
1 Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. 2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
The Apostle Paul goes on further in Corinthians to explain this comment. So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. Paul recognizes there are some new Christians practicing old rituals. There is however those who knew the one true God and now know Christ that understand the truth in regard to this matter. It is not the food that defiles, but sin. Later Paul cautions about using this liberty of understanding so as not to tempt weaker Christians.
There was a story of a faithful priest who helped the mentally challenged. The priest had gotten a young man into a health facility to help him with his mental challenges. Later the priest wanted to visit this young man and the staff at the facility was excited to hear of the upcoming visit. When the priest arrived he was taken to the Golden Room for lunch. The young man he came to see was not there so he inquired where he was. The staff responded, “Oh, patients are not allowed in the Golden Room.” At that point the priest said he would have to eat elsewhere so he could visit his friend. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to hear this priest speak the staff arranged for the young man to eat in the Golden Room. Isn’t it amazing how rules can be broken when it seems appropriate to do so? In Christ we have full freedom and while we are encouraged not to sin there are rules man has made. These rules often dominate us and we forget that Christ has called us to serve Him and not rules. Make sure Christ is leading you to do what is right, what is necessary, and what is just.
O
Monday, November 8, 2010
Our original purpose
Genesis 3:1-4 (NLT)
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
This story recounts the temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden. The temptation offered by the serpent was “AND YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD.” Satan understood this temptation well for he himself had fallen to it and so had the angels who fell supporting Satan. Their desire was to be like God and their desire cost them the rewards of heaven.
Let’s take a moment to reflect upon our original purpose. We were created in the image of God, to be with God, to have a relationship and fellowship with God. Our lives were to be unobstructed by the view of sin and our wisdom was to be directed by God. Our lives would have been free from pain and misery. Our burdens would have been simple. God our creator was ready to watch over us and take care of all our needs. Yet man decided he wanted to be like God. Man without thought took on the responsibility of trying to be God without having the power to be God. Man was incapable of dealing with sin, afflictions, suffering, pain and burden, but his choice cost him exactly that. Even now we try to handle problems our own way and seek out our own solutions without God’s help. Overpowered by the burdens of the world we turn to things other than God hoping they will give us support or relief from our suffering. Yet it is all in vain unless we humble ourselves before God, admit our sin, admit our flaws, and seek His wisdom. God still cares about us and wants us with Him in heaven, but God has also given us the freedom to choose because we wanted that choice. And yet that choice cost us dearly and cost Christ even much more. Pray you will turn over the areas of your life where you are trying to act as God. Maybe you are trying to control others or situations. Maybe you are taking on more than you can handle thinking you can do it all. Jesus told us his yoke was easy and his burden was light. Let’s fully turn our lives over to Jesus and live as close to God as He intended.
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
This story recounts the temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden. The temptation offered by the serpent was “AND YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD.” Satan understood this temptation well for he himself had fallen to it and so had the angels who fell supporting Satan. Their desire was to be like God and their desire cost them the rewards of heaven.
Let’s take a moment to reflect upon our original purpose. We were created in the image of God, to be with God, to have a relationship and fellowship with God. Our lives were to be unobstructed by the view of sin and our wisdom was to be directed by God. Our lives would have been free from pain and misery. Our burdens would have been simple. God our creator was ready to watch over us and take care of all our needs. Yet man decided he wanted to be like God. Man without thought took on the responsibility of trying to be God without having the power to be God. Man was incapable of dealing with sin, afflictions, suffering, pain and burden, but his choice cost him exactly that. Even now we try to handle problems our own way and seek out our own solutions without God’s help. Overpowered by the burdens of the world we turn to things other than God hoping they will give us support or relief from our suffering. Yet it is all in vain unless we humble ourselves before God, admit our sin, admit our flaws, and seek His wisdom. God still cares about us and wants us with Him in heaven, but God has also given us the freedom to choose because we wanted that choice. And yet that choice cost us dearly and cost Christ even much more. Pray you will turn over the areas of your life where you are trying to act as God. Maybe you are trying to control others or situations. Maybe you are taking on more than you can handle thinking you can do it all. Jesus told us his yoke was easy and his burden was light. Let’s fully turn our lives over to Jesus and live as close to God as He intended.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Ephesians 2:14-16 (NLT)
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
In these verses the apostle expresses the great privileges both Jews and Gentiles receive from Christ. He shows there were a system of laws and commandments separating Jew and Gentile, but now those laws have been put aside in order to bring reconciliation to all. The Gentiles had never been allowed to enter into the court of God’s temple, but now they could enter into the presence of God’s holiness. The death and resurrection of Christ took away the binding of the ceremonial law and placed a law that was much greater upon the hearts of man. The law that lives through Christ in the hearts of man brings conviction and a desire for repentance.
The famous Will Rogers had a quote that said, “Live so that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.” Many of us try to cover up and hide the sin present in our life. We can be driving to church having an argument with our kids or spouse and as soon as the car doors open we are smiling at the unsuspecting. We can present one image to our coworkers or friends, but then be living a complete lie away from them. The reason this happens is because we are powerless over sin. We try to manage the sin and cover it up as best as possible by our own strength and power. God’s intent is for us to let Christ live through us. Corinthians tells us Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. We know through Christ comes the power of salvation. To quote the first item from the 12 step program, “We must admit we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable.” Addiction is just one sin, and there are many sins we are powerless over. Admit to God you are powerless over sin and you need Christ to take control of your life and guide each and every decision. Walk closely with Christ so that you may know how to live life.
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
In these verses the apostle expresses the great privileges both Jews and Gentiles receive from Christ. He shows there were a system of laws and commandments separating Jew and Gentile, but now those laws have been put aside in order to bring reconciliation to all. The Gentiles had never been allowed to enter into the court of God’s temple, but now they could enter into the presence of God’s holiness. The death and resurrection of Christ took away the binding of the ceremonial law and placed a law that was much greater upon the hearts of man. The law that lives through Christ in the hearts of man brings conviction and a desire for repentance.
The famous Will Rogers had a quote that said, “Live so that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.” Many of us try to cover up and hide the sin present in our life. We can be driving to church having an argument with our kids or spouse and as soon as the car doors open we are smiling at the unsuspecting. We can present one image to our coworkers or friends, but then be living a complete lie away from them. The reason this happens is because we are powerless over sin. We try to manage the sin and cover it up as best as possible by our own strength and power. God’s intent is for us to let Christ live through us. Corinthians tells us Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. We know through Christ comes the power of salvation. To quote the first item from the 12 step program, “We must admit we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable.” Addiction is just one sin, and there are many sins we are powerless over. Admit to God you are powerless over sin and you need Christ to take control of your life and guide each and every decision. Walk closely with Christ so that you may know how to live life.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Living according to Christ
1 Corinthians 10:27-30 (NLT)
27 If someone who isn’t a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience. 28 (But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. 29 It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?
The apostle speaks to Christians about dining with non-Christians in their homes. There were times meat offered in sacrifice would be eaten as a part of the meal. The apostle encourages those who eat in the home of these infidels not to raise questions about the food and to eat it in freedom. The exception would be if the food was presented in a way that says “eat of this sacrificial food and honor our gods with us.” In Christ there is freedom to eat the food for which we give praise, but we must also take care not to give honor to anyone but the true God in what we do. So while we give peaceful consideration to others, we must also be alert to stand strong on our convictions with unwavering posture.
It seems Christians are still stuck on religious rules almost 2000 years after the death of Christ. I remember my grandmother saying dancing and movies were forbidden when she was a teen. There are some who even try to impose self made rules upon others. Yet we have to remember it is our relationship with Christ that guides our lives. If we are reading God’s word, praying, and really taking the time to listen to the Lord; the Holy Spirit speaks to us confirming or condemning our actions. Most of us might say it is our conscience speaking, but it is God showing us the right path and that path has no shame associated with it. We must also take caution if we are not maintaining a relationship with Christ then we are subject to sin and follow in that sin; for apart from Christ we can do nothing on our own. So when you act according to what God would have you do. Remember not to carry ideas conceived by men, instead listen to Christ. An action itself it not sinful unless we know it is what God would not have us to do or we fail to do what He is telling us to do. Back to my grandmother, dancing is not sinful, but it can be made sinful by inappropriate behavior. Movies are not sinful, but they can be when they defile God. So remember to live according to God and not according to the religious rules of man.
27 If someone who isn’t a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience. 28 (But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. 29 It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?
The apostle speaks to Christians about dining with non-Christians in their homes. There were times meat offered in sacrifice would be eaten as a part of the meal. The apostle encourages those who eat in the home of these infidels not to raise questions about the food and to eat it in freedom. The exception would be if the food was presented in a way that says “eat of this sacrificial food and honor our gods with us.” In Christ there is freedom to eat the food for which we give praise, but we must also take care not to give honor to anyone but the true God in what we do. So while we give peaceful consideration to others, we must also be alert to stand strong on our convictions with unwavering posture.
It seems Christians are still stuck on religious rules almost 2000 years after the death of Christ. I remember my grandmother saying dancing and movies were forbidden when she was a teen. There are some who even try to impose self made rules upon others. Yet we have to remember it is our relationship with Christ that guides our lives. If we are reading God’s word, praying, and really taking the time to listen to the Lord; the Holy Spirit speaks to us confirming or condemning our actions. Most of us might say it is our conscience speaking, but it is God showing us the right path and that path has no shame associated with it. We must also take caution if we are not maintaining a relationship with Christ then we are subject to sin and follow in that sin; for apart from Christ we can do nothing on our own. So when you act according to what God would have you do. Remember not to carry ideas conceived by men, instead listen to Christ. An action itself it not sinful unless we know it is what God would not have us to do or we fail to do what He is telling us to do. Back to my grandmother, dancing is not sinful, but it can be made sinful by inappropriate behavior. Movies are not sinful, but they can be when they defile God. So remember to live according to God and not according to the religious rules of man.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Confidence to approach God
1 John 3:20-21 (NLT)
20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
The apostle writes about when we reflect upon ourselves and we find a court of conviction that passes judgment on our relationship with God. This reflection acts as witness, judge, and executioner. We will either accuse ourselves or excuse ourselves. We will condemn the actions we have taken or we will justify them. Our conscience is a spotlight showing our guilt. However, God already knows our guilt and he wants us to come to Him in bold confidence knowing that He will forgive whatever we confess to him.
Robert Webber writes in his book, Who Gets to Narrate the World, he was traveling on a plane reading Christian material. A man sitting next to him from an Eastern culture asked if he was a religious man. The man responded he was religious also. Robert asked him to sum up his belief in one sentence and the man said, “We all are a part of the problem, and we are all part of the solution. After talking for a bit Robert asked the man if he would like to hear a one-liner to sum up Christianity and man responded he would. Robert said this, “We all are a part of the problem, but there is only one man who is the solution and His name is Jesus Christ.”
God sent His son Jesus to die for our sin. God wants us to confess that sin to Him. However, God does not want us to carry around a burden of guilt for that sin. Instead God wants us to remember He already knows our sin and that is why He gave up His Son Jesus. When guilt comes upon us for sin it is a reminder of our sin, but we should not let that guilt hold us down. We should approach God in confidence knowing He forgives us and reachs out to us in love.
20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
The apostle writes about when we reflect upon ourselves and we find a court of conviction that passes judgment on our relationship with God. This reflection acts as witness, judge, and executioner. We will either accuse ourselves or excuse ourselves. We will condemn the actions we have taken or we will justify them. Our conscience is a spotlight showing our guilt. However, God already knows our guilt and he wants us to come to Him in bold confidence knowing that He will forgive whatever we confess to him.
Robert Webber writes in his book, Who Gets to Narrate the World, he was traveling on a plane reading Christian material. A man sitting next to him from an Eastern culture asked if he was a religious man. The man responded he was religious also. Robert asked him to sum up his belief in one sentence and the man said, “We all are a part of the problem, and we are all part of the solution. After talking for a bit Robert asked the man if he would like to hear a one-liner to sum up Christianity and man responded he would. Robert said this, “We all are a part of the problem, but there is only one man who is the solution and His name is Jesus Christ.”
God sent His son Jesus to die for our sin. God wants us to confess that sin to Him. However, God does not want us to carry around a burden of guilt for that sin. Instead God wants us to remember He already knows our sin and that is why He gave up His Son Jesus. When guilt comes upon us for sin it is a reminder of our sin, but we should not let that guilt hold us down. We should approach God in confidence knowing He forgives us and reachs out to us in love.
Friday, October 29, 2010
proverb for anger
Proverbs 29:11 (NLT)
11 Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.
It is a weakness when a person throws open the gates of their frustrations and they act upon whatever thoughts may come to mind. Any thought whether helpful or harmful is spewed forth and vented unfairly upon another. The reflections and thoughts might not even be pertinent. They are quickly mouthed without counsel and will usually lead to greater distress. But those who are wise have learned the proper ways to express anger and not allow it to build to a point of rage. They hold back their thoughts, often seeking out advice and listening closely to others to reserve their words for a proper time and place.
A wife gave her husband a list of items for a Halloween party. She said to be sure to get everything on the list and nothing more. Before getting to the store, the husband misplaced the list and thought instead of calling his wife he would just pick up some items. After all, how hard is it to plan a party? Walking through the aisles he became distracted with the costumes. He thought, maybe I’ll buy one of these, wear it home and surprise the wife. After putting on the costume and parking his truck away from the house, and then walking down the street to his house the husband rang the doorbell. He could hear his wife approaching the door, but before the door opened he heard, “You better not be my husband dressed in a stupid Halloween costume without bringing back those items on the shopping list.” Sometimes it is just prudent not to respond for you know you have done wrong. And while the attempt was to surprise his wife; the husband forgot about the feelings of the wife, the need to bring back her complete list, and not make her feel let down. It was time to be sympathetic to her feelings and acknowledge his wrong and return to buy what she asked for.
11 Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.
It is a weakness when a person throws open the gates of their frustrations and they act upon whatever thoughts may come to mind. Any thought whether helpful or harmful is spewed forth and vented unfairly upon another. The reflections and thoughts might not even be pertinent. They are quickly mouthed without counsel and will usually lead to greater distress. But those who are wise have learned the proper ways to express anger and not allow it to build to a point of rage. They hold back their thoughts, often seeking out advice and listening closely to others to reserve their words for a proper time and place.
A wife gave her husband a list of items for a Halloween party. She said to be sure to get everything on the list and nothing more. Before getting to the store, the husband misplaced the list and thought instead of calling his wife he would just pick up some items. After all, how hard is it to plan a party? Walking through the aisles he became distracted with the costumes. He thought, maybe I’ll buy one of these, wear it home and surprise the wife. After putting on the costume and parking his truck away from the house, and then walking down the street to his house the husband rang the doorbell. He could hear his wife approaching the door, but before the door opened he heard, “You better not be my husband dressed in a stupid Halloween costume without bringing back those items on the shopping list.” Sometimes it is just prudent not to respond for you know you have done wrong. And while the attempt was to surprise his wife; the husband forgot about the feelings of the wife, the need to bring back her complete list, and not make her feel let down. It was time to be sympathetic to her feelings and acknowledge his wrong and return to buy what she asked for.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Walking in agreement with God
Amos 3:3 (NLT)
3 Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?
After exposing the sins of the people in the various surrounding areas and proclaiming God’s judgment upon those people Amos now speaks to Israel. The first question Amos asks is, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on a direction?” If the people are at odds with God there can be no fellowship with Him. To walk with God they must first accommodate that which is in difference to God. Amos expresses the idea that one cannot expect God to be present with us or act with us unless we have reconciled ourselves to God through repentance and alignment with God’s will.
The Rev C H Spurgeon delivered this message as a portion of his Oct, 30, 1864 sermon at Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. Yet again, dear friends, are we agreed this day as to our utter helplessness in this work? I caught a good sentence the other day. Speaking with a Wesleyan minister, I said to him, "Your denomination during the past year did not increase: you have usually had a large increase to your numbers. You were never so rich as now; your ministers were never so well educated; you never had such good chapels as now, and yet you never had so little success. What are you doing?—knowing this to be the fact, what are you doing? How are the minds of your brethren exercised with regard to this?" He comforted me much by the reply. He said, "It has driven us to our knees: we thank God that we know our state and are not content with it. We have had a day of humiliation, and I hope," he said, "some of us have gone low enough to be blessed." There is a great truth in that last sentence, "low enough to be blessed," I do fear me that some of us never do go low enough to be blessed. When a man says, "Oh! yes, we are getting on very well, we do not want any revival that I know of," I fear me he is not low enough to be blessed; and when you and I pray to God with pride in us, with self-exaltation, with a confidence in our own zeal, or even in the prevalence of our own prayers of themselves, we have not come low enough to be blessed. An humble Church will be a blessed Church; a Church that is willing to confess its own errors and failures, and to lie at the foot of Christ's cross, is in a position to be favoured of the Lord. I hope we are agreed, then, with God, as to our utter unworthiness and helplessness, so that we look to him alone.
Pray our nation would look to God for His thoughts and that we, His people, would follow Him. Pray that our minds may be one in agreement with God and give thanks always for God’s generosity, grace and mercy.
3 Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?
After exposing the sins of the people in the various surrounding areas and proclaiming God’s judgment upon those people Amos now speaks to Israel. The first question Amos asks is, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on a direction?” If the people are at odds with God there can be no fellowship with Him. To walk with God they must first accommodate that which is in difference to God. Amos expresses the idea that one cannot expect God to be present with us or act with us unless we have reconciled ourselves to God through repentance and alignment with God’s will.
The Rev C H Spurgeon delivered this message as a portion of his Oct, 30, 1864 sermon at Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. Yet again, dear friends, are we agreed this day as to our utter helplessness in this work? I caught a good sentence the other day. Speaking with a Wesleyan minister, I said to him, "Your denomination during the past year did not increase: you have usually had a large increase to your numbers. You were never so rich as now; your ministers were never so well educated; you never had such good chapels as now, and yet you never had so little success. What are you doing?—knowing this to be the fact, what are you doing? How are the minds of your brethren exercised with regard to this?" He comforted me much by the reply. He said, "It has driven us to our knees: we thank God that we know our state and are not content with it. We have had a day of humiliation, and I hope," he said, "some of us have gone low enough to be blessed." There is a great truth in that last sentence, "low enough to be blessed," I do fear me that some of us never do go low enough to be blessed. When a man says, "Oh! yes, we are getting on very well, we do not want any revival that I know of," I fear me he is not low enough to be blessed; and when you and I pray to God with pride in us, with self-exaltation, with a confidence in our own zeal, or even in the prevalence of our own prayers of themselves, we have not come low enough to be blessed. An humble Church will be a blessed Church; a Church that is willing to confess its own errors and failures, and to lie at the foot of Christ's cross, is in a position to be favoured of the Lord. I hope we are agreed, then, with God, as to our utter unworthiness and helplessness, so that we look to him alone.
Pray our nation would look to God for His thoughts and that we, His people, would follow Him. Pray that our minds may be one in agreement with God and give thanks always for God’s generosity, grace and mercy.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tomorrow is unknown
Proverbs 27:1 (NLT)
1 Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.
King Solomon offers a caution about presuming what the future may bring. We should not make promises to ourselves about our life and its continuance for we cannot make promises to ourselves we cannot keep. For God does not reveal to us future events, but wisely reserves the knowledge for Himself. Therefore we prepare for tomorrow knowing we must be willing to submit to the will of God. And we should not linger in worry about the events of the future, but instead place our trust in the hands of God.
In the movie Life or Something Like it, an ambitious TV anchorwoman, Lanie Kerrigan (Angelina Jolie) decides to change her destiny when a homeless man tells her she'll die within a week. Lanie is perfect; engaged to Seattle Mariners star Cal (Christian Kane), the famous host of a popular TV show, and adorned in a perfect wardrobe enhanced by her trademark Marilyn Monroe-inspired blonde buffont. To top it all off, her boss recommends her for her dream job, a network position in New York City. In order to increase her chances, he sends her to do field work with the renowned, but difficult, cameraman Pete (Edward Burns). On an assignment, Prophet Jack (Tony Shalhoub), tells Lanie three predictions: that the Seattle Seahawks will beat the Denver Broncos 19-13, that it will hail the following day, and that she'll be dead by next Thursday. When the first two predictions come true, Lanie reevaluates her life and realizes she's missing out on the smaller things because of her ambition.
What would you do if you found out you only had one week to live? Would you stop and change your priorities in life? Would you continue the same routine or would you take advantage of the time that was left? None of us are guaranteed another second of life. Our lives can end with a single heart beat; yet we presume to know what tomorrow holds and fail to see the important parts of life. Pray God would give you wisdom to see the purpose of your life and what you should be doing. Give praise to God for what you have and pray He would meet your needs for those things you do not have.
1 Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.
King Solomon offers a caution about presuming what the future may bring. We should not make promises to ourselves about our life and its continuance for we cannot make promises to ourselves we cannot keep. For God does not reveal to us future events, but wisely reserves the knowledge for Himself. Therefore we prepare for tomorrow knowing we must be willing to submit to the will of God. And we should not linger in worry about the events of the future, but instead place our trust in the hands of God.
In the movie Life or Something Like it, an ambitious TV anchorwoman, Lanie Kerrigan (Angelina Jolie) decides to change her destiny when a homeless man tells her she'll die within a week. Lanie is perfect; engaged to Seattle Mariners star Cal (Christian Kane), the famous host of a popular TV show, and adorned in a perfect wardrobe enhanced by her trademark Marilyn Monroe-inspired blonde buffont. To top it all off, her boss recommends her for her dream job, a network position in New York City. In order to increase her chances, he sends her to do field work with the renowned, but difficult, cameraman Pete (Edward Burns). On an assignment, Prophet Jack (Tony Shalhoub), tells Lanie three predictions: that the Seattle Seahawks will beat the Denver Broncos 19-13, that it will hail the following day, and that she'll be dead by next Thursday. When the first two predictions come true, Lanie reevaluates her life and realizes she's missing out on the smaller things because of her ambition.
What would you do if you found out you only had one week to live? Would you stop and change your priorities in life? Would you continue the same routine or would you take advantage of the time that was left? None of us are guaranteed another second of life. Our lives can end with a single heart beat; yet we presume to know what tomorrow holds and fail to see the important parts of life. Pray God would give you wisdom to see the purpose of your life and what you should be doing. Give praise to God for what you have and pray He would meet your needs for those things you do not have.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Proverbs 26:18-19 (NLT)
18 Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon 19 is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.”
This proverb speaks of the person who commits a willful sin pretending to be polite with their words, but in reality they are cunning, malicious and deceitful. They give a frivolous excuse for their behavior and then try to play it off as humorous fun. But there is no fun for the victim of a lie and valuable truth is being sold off as a joke.
Webster’s Dictionary says when a person lies they make an untrue statement with intent to deceive; or the intent is to create a false or misleading impression. A lie is deliberate; it is calculated and meant to intentionally cheat a person from the truth. The book of Jeremiah tells us a person that tells lies practice with their tongue and wear themselves out sinning. The Bible tells us Satan is the master of deception. Through a lie Satan encouraged Adam and Eve to sin. Through deception Satan has led people away from Christ so they may not know the truth of mercy, grace and salvation. St. Augustine said, “For a person is to be judged as lying or as not lying according to the intention of his own mind, not according to the truth or falsity of the matter itself….In reality, the fault of the person who tells a lie consists in his desire to deceive in expressing his thoughts.” Lies are separate from falsehoods and omissions. A falsehood is where one believes a statement to be true, but their facts have not been confirmed. Omissions can be contested as a lie if the intent is to harmfully deceive; but omission by itself without intent to do evil is not always a lie. Omission may be for the purpose of protection, such as withholding information when it is known the truth will cause harm. Omission can just be the fault of a person to not include facts they did not think about and therefore they had no intent to lie. Generally there are four conditions to a lie: 1) a person makes a statement, 2) the statement is untruthful and the speaker understands the statement to be false, 3) the statement is purposefully directed to another person, and 4) there is intention of the speaker for the listener to believe the untruthful statement. We all must take care not to lie for the purpose of deception and evil. We are all sinners and all prone to lie in some manner; therefore we must take care in our judgment of others. Pray for discernment from God that you may know the intent of individuals and whether their intent is to harm. Pray also that you would follow truth and use it wisely.
18 Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon 19 is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.”
This proverb speaks of the person who commits a willful sin pretending to be polite with their words, but in reality they are cunning, malicious and deceitful. They give a frivolous excuse for their behavior and then try to play it off as humorous fun. But there is no fun for the victim of a lie and valuable truth is being sold off as a joke.
Webster’s Dictionary says when a person lies they make an untrue statement with intent to deceive; or the intent is to create a false or misleading impression. A lie is deliberate; it is calculated and meant to intentionally cheat a person from the truth. The book of Jeremiah tells us a person that tells lies practice with their tongue and wear themselves out sinning. The Bible tells us Satan is the master of deception. Through a lie Satan encouraged Adam and Eve to sin. Through deception Satan has led people away from Christ so they may not know the truth of mercy, grace and salvation. St. Augustine said, “For a person is to be judged as lying or as not lying according to the intention of his own mind, not according to the truth or falsity of the matter itself….In reality, the fault of the person who tells a lie consists in his desire to deceive in expressing his thoughts.” Lies are separate from falsehoods and omissions. A falsehood is where one believes a statement to be true, but their facts have not been confirmed. Omissions can be contested as a lie if the intent is to harmfully deceive; but omission by itself without intent to do evil is not always a lie. Omission may be for the purpose of protection, such as withholding information when it is known the truth will cause harm. Omission can just be the fault of a person to not include facts they did not think about and therefore they had no intent to lie. Generally there are four conditions to a lie: 1) a person makes a statement, 2) the statement is untruthful and the speaker understands the statement to be false, 3) the statement is purposefully directed to another person, and 4) there is intention of the speaker for the listener to believe the untruthful statement. We all must take care not to lie for the purpose of deception and evil. We are all sinners and all prone to lie in some manner; therefore we must take care in our judgment of others. Pray for discernment from God that you may know the intent of individuals and whether their intent is to harm. Pray also that you would follow truth and use it wisely.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Confronting the right issue
Genesis 31:22-30 (NLT)
22 Three days later, Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 So he gathered a group of his relatives and set out in hot pursuit. He caught up with Jacob seven days later in the hill country of Gilead. 24 But the previous night God had appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and told him, “I’m warning you—leave Jacob alone!” 25 Laban caught up with Jacob as he was camped in the hill country of Gilead, and he set up his camp not far from Jacob’s. 26 “What do you mean by stealing away like this?” Laban demanded. “How dare you drag my daughters away like prisoners of war? 27 Why did you slip away secretly? Why did you steal away? And why didn’t you say you wanted to leave? I would have given you a farewell feast, with singing and music, accompanied by tambourines and harps. 28 Why didn’t you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye? You have acted very foolishly! 29 I could destroy you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and warned me, ‘Leave Jacob alone!’ 30 I can understand your feeling that you must go, and your intense longing for your father’s home. But why have you stolen my gods?”
Jacob had been told by God to leave the land of his uncle and father-in-law, Laban, and return to his homeland. Over the years, Laban had taken advantage of his son-in-law Joseph; but God prospered Joseph in everything he did. Joseph and his family secretly left. Laban chased after Joseph and his family. One reason it was thought he was in such hot pursuit of Joseph was that Rachel had stolen her father’s idols; perhaps not for the rich metals or what they represented, but that it gave her a right to establish a future claim to the headship of the family and the possessions of the family. Labal perhaps thought Joseph was trying to take all Laban had.
Laban goes through a long list of complaints. He complains to Joseph about slipping off secretly, taking away his family, not giving a proper farewell, and not allowing him to say goodbye to his family. Then Labon gets to the heart of his complaint, “Why have you stolen my gods?”
Is this scenario familiar to you: a complaint is made, but it is not what the real issue is about? Then finally after some arguing and confrontation the true problem is revealed? Most people are afraid to address an issue straight on so they attack other things close to the issue. None of them are the true problem and so the confrontation grows even hotter because more than one complaint is lodged. Each of us has probably been at fault for this somewhere in our life. Pray we would learn to be honest with others in a way that is non-threatening. Pray we could learn to live through the power of God and not out of the fear we have for others.
22 Three days later, Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 So he gathered a group of his relatives and set out in hot pursuit. He caught up with Jacob seven days later in the hill country of Gilead. 24 But the previous night God had appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and told him, “I’m warning you—leave Jacob alone!” 25 Laban caught up with Jacob as he was camped in the hill country of Gilead, and he set up his camp not far from Jacob’s. 26 “What do you mean by stealing away like this?” Laban demanded. “How dare you drag my daughters away like prisoners of war? 27 Why did you slip away secretly? Why did you steal away? And why didn’t you say you wanted to leave? I would have given you a farewell feast, with singing and music, accompanied by tambourines and harps. 28 Why didn’t you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye? You have acted very foolishly! 29 I could destroy you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and warned me, ‘Leave Jacob alone!’ 30 I can understand your feeling that you must go, and your intense longing for your father’s home. But why have you stolen my gods?”
Jacob had been told by God to leave the land of his uncle and father-in-law, Laban, and return to his homeland. Over the years, Laban had taken advantage of his son-in-law Joseph; but God prospered Joseph in everything he did. Joseph and his family secretly left. Laban chased after Joseph and his family. One reason it was thought he was in such hot pursuit of Joseph was that Rachel had stolen her father’s idols; perhaps not for the rich metals or what they represented, but that it gave her a right to establish a future claim to the headship of the family and the possessions of the family. Labal perhaps thought Joseph was trying to take all Laban had.
Laban goes through a long list of complaints. He complains to Joseph about slipping off secretly, taking away his family, not giving a proper farewell, and not allowing him to say goodbye to his family. Then Labon gets to the heart of his complaint, “Why have you stolen my gods?”
Is this scenario familiar to you: a complaint is made, but it is not what the real issue is about? Then finally after some arguing and confrontation the true problem is revealed? Most people are afraid to address an issue straight on so they attack other things close to the issue. None of them are the true problem and so the confrontation grows even hotter because more than one complaint is lodged. Each of us has probably been at fault for this somewhere in our life. Pray we would learn to be honest with others in a way that is non-threatening. Pray we could learn to live through the power of God and not out of the fear we have for others.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Opinions
Proverbs 18:2 (ESV)
2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
King Solomon has several proverbs relating to the wisdom of opinion. In 12:23 he says, “A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.” And in 15:2 Solomon says, “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” There are basically two types of people: 1) There are those that have knowledge, use it wisely and only speak of it only at proper times; 2) There are those that think they are wise, but foolishly proclaim their opinions only for the sake of their own beliefs.
Opinions are common. There are opinion polls to show averages of people’s opinions on a subject. Rarely, if never will you see a single opinion at 100% for everyone is different. News commentators give personal opinions in addition to factual information; so in essence they mix fact with founded or unfounded personal belief. Letters to the Editor are opinions, individual points of view. Even someone selling you something will say, “In my OPINION this is a good buy.” Everyone has an opinion, but that does not mean their opinion is valid. Many opinions are not based on fact, not founded in wisdom or shown to be true. They are what they are; the personal belief of an individual. An important lesson to remember is when someone confronts you with their opinion, remember “it is just their opinion”. You have an opinion of yourself that counts too. Even greater is God’s opinion of you - He calls you precious and dear to Him. When a loved one or someone we respect gives us an unfavorable opinion of ourselves it can hurt. Maybe they got pieces of facts, heard rumors, or listened to lies and they presented a foolish opinion. Again, remember it is their opinion, you don’t have to agree, you don’t have to defend your own opinion of yourself, and you don’t have to respond in anger. Thank them for their opinion and keep your opinion of them to yourself. Seek God’s wisdom and let God speak to you on what is true and what is not to see if there is any truth in their opinion. Hand your emotions over to God and let the peace of Christ rule in your heart so that you may know the truth. Pray God would show you His opinion of you matters more than the opinion of others or even yourself.
2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
King Solomon has several proverbs relating to the wisdom of opinion. In 12:23 he says, “A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.” And in 15:2 Solomon says, “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” There are basically two types of people: 1) There are those that have knowledge, use it wisely and only speak of it only at proper times; 2) There are those that think they are wise, but foolishly proclaim their opinions only for the sake of their own beliefs.
Opinions are common. There are opinion polls to show averages of people’s opinions on a subject. Rarely, if never will you see a single opinion at 100% for everyone is different. News commentators give personal opinions in addition to factual information; so in essence they mix fact with founded or unfounded personal belief. Letters to the Editor are opinions, individual points of view. Even someone selling you something will say, “In my OPINION this is a good buy.” Everyone has an opinion, but that does not mean their opinion is valid. Many opinions are not based on fact, not founded in wisdom or shown to be true. They are what they are; the personal belief of an individual. An important lesson to remember is when someone confronts you with their opinion, remember “it is just their opinion”. You have an opinion of yourself that counts too. Even greater is God’s opinion of you - He calls you precious and dear to Him. When a loved one or someone we respect gives us an unfavorable opinion of ourselves it can hurt. Maybe they got pieces of facts, heard rumors, or listened to lies and they presented a foolish opinion. Again, remember it is their opinion, you don’t have to agree, you don’t have to defend your own opinion of yourself, and you don’t have to respond in anger. Thank them for their opinion and keep your opinion of them to yourself. Seek God’s wisdom and let God speak to you on what is true and what is not to see if there is any truth in their opinion. Hand your emotions over to God and let the peace of Christ rule in your heart so that you may know the truth. Pray God would show you His opinion of you matters more than the opinion of others or even yourself.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
How much interest did Christ take in you?
Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
The apostle writes to the Philippians to encourage them in their Christian duties. He exhorts them to be more like Christ by humbling themselves before others. They should put aside selfishness and pride. They should attend not only to their own interests, but also to the interests of others. Paul is encouraging them to do as Christ said, “Love one another.”
Richard Manning and Ray Brennan had been friends since Marine training school in Quantico, VA. During the Korean War, the unit in which the two Marines served arrived in Pusan in the fall of 1951. It was a little after midnight, and a light snow was falling. Huddled in the bunker, the two were passing a cigarette back and forth when a hand grenade landed squarely between them. Ray Brennan spotted it first. He nonchalantly flicked the cigarette butt aside and fell on the grenade. It detonated instantly, but Brennan's stomach absorbed the explosion. He winked at Manning and rolled over dead. Four years later, Manning entered the priesthood. When he took his vows, he took a new name to symbolize his new life in Jesus Christ. He changed his given name to Brennan Manning in memory of his friend. One summer, Father Brennan Manning dropped in on Ray Brennan's widowed mother in Chicago. After dinner, they were reminiscing about the days when Ray was alive. Unexpectedly, the priest asked, "Ma, do you think Ray really loved me?" "Oh, Brennan," she laughed, "You can't ever be serious." "I am serious," Brennan replied. She looked at him in disbelief. She stood up and screamed in her Irish brogue, "Good Lord, man, what more could he ha' done fer ya?" I've been thinking about that question. Sometimes when I am disappointed; disillusioned; or doubting Jesus Christ--I need to ask myself: "what more could He have done for me?"
[Richard Anderson, Christ Presbyterian Church, quotes from The Importance of Being Foolish by Brennan Manning]
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
The apostle writes to the Philippians to encourage them in their Christian duties. He exhorts them to be more like Christ by humbling themselves before others. They should put aside selfishness and pride. They should attend not only to their own interests, but also to the interests of others. Paul is encouraging them to do as Christ said, “Love one another.”
Richard Manning and Ray Brennan had been friends since Marine training school in Quantico, VA. During the Korean War, the unit in which the two Marines served arrived in Pusan in the fall of 1951. It was a little after midnight, and a light snow was falling. Huddled in the bunker, the two were passing a cigarette back and forth when a hand grenade landed squarely between them. Ray Brennan spotted it first. He nonchalantly flicked the cigarette butt aside and fell on the grenade. It detonated instantly, but Brennan's stomach absorbed the explosion. He winked at Manning and rolled over dead. Four years later, Manning entered the priesthood. When he took his vows, he took a new name to symbolize his new life in Jesus Christ. He changed his given name to Brennan Manning in memory of his friend. One summer, Father Brennan Manning dropped in on Ray Brennan's widowed mother in Chicago. After dinner, they were reminiscing about the days when Ray was alive. Unexpectedly, the priest asked, "Ma, do you think Ray really loved me?" "Oh, Brennan," she laughed, "You can't ever be serious." "I am serious," Brennan replied. She looked at him in disbelief. She stood up and screamed in her Irish brogue, "Good Lord, man, what more could he ha' done fer ya?" I've been thinking about that question. Sometimes when I am disappointed; disillusioned; or doubting Jesus Christ--I need to ask myself: "what more could He have done for me?"
[Richard Anderson, Christ Presbyterian Church, quotes from The Importance of Being Foolish by Brennan Manning]
Friday, October 15, 2010
Consequences
Isaiah 47:5-9 (NLT)
5 “O beautiful Babylon, sit now in darkness and silence. Never again will you be known as the queen of kingdoms. 6 For I was angry with my chosen people and punished them by letting them fall into your hands. But you, Babylon, showed them no mercy. You oppressed even the elderly. 7 You said, ‘I will reign forever as queen of the world!’ You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences. 8 “Listen to this, you pleasure-loving kingdom, living at ease and feeling secure. You say, ‘I am the only one, and there is no other. I will never be a widow or lose my children.’ 9 Well, both these things will come upon you in a moment: widowhood and the loss of your children. Yes, these calamities will come upon you, despite all your witchcraft and magic.
In these verses from Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah proclaims the future fall of Babylon. God had given the people of Israel over to Babylon as a consequence for their disobedience and sin. But we find Babylon had its arrogance following a pleasure-loving life, living without fear of their enemies. They had also mistreated those who needed help, such as the elderly Therefore God was going to allow the consequences of their actions to come against them and nothing they could do would prevent it.
An important statement for us to take to heart is made in verse 7 above. “You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences.” Twice through the book of Proverbs, King Solomon emphasized this statement, “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Talk to someone with addictive behaviors and it is not uncommon to hear them say, “I knew it was wrong, I did it without thinking and now I am paying the consequences for my actions.” You see God calls out through the Holy Spirit to convict us when we are about to follow sin. However, most of us don’t stop to listen or reflect upon the sin we are about to commit. Most don’t even think far enough ahead to realize there can be great consequences for those actions. God sees all our sins and to Him no one sin is greater than another. Each sin falls far below God’s standard of holiness and righteousness. And while all sin is wrong, we tend to pick our sins by the level of the consequences we have to face. Unfortunately those consequences are often greater than we expect. Pray God would help you stop before acting and falling into the clutches of sin for which there are consequences.
5 “O beautiful Babylon, sit now in darkness and silence. Never again will you be known as the queen of kingdoms. 6 For I was angry with my chosen people and punished them by letting them fall into your hands. But you, Babylon, showed them no mercy. You oppressed even the elderly. 7 You said, ‘I will reign forever as queen of the world!’ You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences. 8 “Listen to this, you pleasure-loving kingdom, living at ease and feeling secure. You say, ‘I am the only one, and there is no other. I will never be a widow or lose my children.’ 9 Well, both these things will come upon you in a moment: widowhood and the loss of your children. Yes, these calamities will come upon you, despite all your witchcraft and magic.
In these verses from Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah proclaims the future fall of Babylon. God had given the people of Israel over to Babylon as a consequence for their disobedience and sin. But we find Babylon had its arrogance following a pleasure-loving life, living without fear of their enemies. They had also mistreated those who needed help, such as the elderly Therefore God was going to allow the consequences of their actions to come against them and nothing they could do would prevent it.
An important statement for us to take to heart is made in verse 7 above. “You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences.” Twice through the book of Proverbs, King Solomon emphasized this statement, “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Talk to someone with addictive behaviors and it is not uncommon to hear them say, “I knew it was wrong, I did it without thinking and now I am paying the consequences for my actions.” You see God calls out through the Holy Spirit to convict us when we are about to follow sin. However, most of us don’t stop to listen or reflect upon the sin we are about to commit. Most don’t even think far enough ahead to realize there can be great consequences for those actions. God sees all our sins and to Him no one sin is greater than another. Each sin falls far below God’s standard of holiness and righteousness. And while all sin is wrong, we tend to pick our sins by the level of the consequences we have to face. Unfortunately those consequences are often greater than we expect. Pray God would help you stop before acting and falling into the clutches of sin for which there are consequences.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Door of opportunity
Revelation 3:8 (KJV)
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Christ speaks to the Church of Philadelphia to let them know what He has done for the church. Christ is the one who placed liberty and opportunity before them. It is a door which has been opened and no one apart from Christ can shut. Christ acknowledges the church has not denied Him nor failed to follow Him. It is the reason for their liberty and opportunity to reach out to others. Those against God would love to do nothing more than shut this door, but as long as Christ is not provoked the door will remain open.
In the phrase from Revelation 3:8, “no man can shut it”, the Greek word for “can” is dynamai, which means having the ability, strength or power to do something. It is the word from which dynamite is derived. So let’s think about the verse this way, “Once Jesus has opened a door of opportunity no person has enough dynamite to affect the door.” It cannot be blow shut, it cannot be destroyed, and it cannot be made impassable. Jesus has opened the door and it will remain open until Jesus decides to shut it. So if you have been given an opportunity by Christ don’t let the opportunity pass. The door is being held open for you to accomplish want needs to be done. And when your task is through give Jesus the honor, praise and glory He deserves.
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Christ speaks to the Church of Philadelphia to let them know what He has done for the church. Christ is the one who placed liberty and opportunity before them. It is a door which has been opened and no one apart from Christ can shut. Christ acknowledges the church has not denied Him nor failed to follow Him. It is the reason for their liberty and opportunity to reach out to others. Those against God would love to do nothing more than shut this door, but as long as Christ is not provoked the door will remain open.
In the phrase from Revelation 3:8, “no man can shut it”, the Greek word for “can” is dynamai, which means having the ability, strength or power to do something. It is the word from which dynamite is derived. So let’s think about the verse this way, “Once Jesus has opened a door of opportunity no person has enough dynamite to affect the door.” It cannot be blow shut, it cannot be destroyed, and it cannot be made impassable. Jesus has opened the door and it will remain open until Jesus decides to shut it. So if you have been given an opportunity by Christ don’t let the opportunity pass. The door is being held open for you to accomplish want needs to be done. And when your task is through give Jesus the honor, praise and glory He deserves.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Who do we believe He is
Matthew 8:5-10 (NAS)
5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, 6 and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." 7 Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8 But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
The man coming before Jesus was a Roman Centurion. These men were gentiles, professional soldiers in command of 80-100 men. They led other soldiers from the front of the battle, occupying a position at the front right of the century formation. They inspired their men by example. Centurions were highly respected and educated men. Yet even with all his respect and power this centurion humbled his self to Jesus to ask for grace upon his servant. The centurion went further in his faith saying all Jesus needed to do was “say this and it will be done”.
In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asked an important question to His disciples. He asked, “Who do you say that I am?” It is a question relevant for us today. Who is it we believe Jesus to be? Do we really and truly believe He is Savior, King of Heaven, Lord above all Lords or do we place limits on him? Can we go to Jesus, ask what we need and believe He will answer in our best interest? Like the Centurion we need to be able to ask in confidence and have genuine faith Jesus will answer our request. The Centurion understood the power and authority of Jesus. Sadly the response to Israel, who knew God, who had witnessed the miracles of God and Christ, was there was no one who had such faith as this Roman Gentile. Pray we may put aside our doubts, put aside our feelings and learn to have to total faith in Christ. Pray we really know and believe who Jesus said He was.
5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, 6 and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." 7 Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8 But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
The man coming before Jesus was a Roman Centurion. These men were gentiles, professional soldiers in command of 80-100 men. They led other soldiers from the front of the battle, occupying a position at the front right of the century formation. They inspired their men by example. Centurions were highly respected and educated men. Yet even with all his respect and power this centurion humbled his self to Jesus to ask for grace upon his servant. The centurion went further in his faith saying all Jesus needed to do was “say this and it will be done”.
In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asked an important question to His disciples. He asked, “Who do you say that I am?” It is a question relevant for us today. Who is it we believe Jesus to be? Do we really and truly believe He is Savior, King of Heaven, Lord above all Lords or do we place limits on him? Can we go to Jesus, ask what we need and believe He will answer in our best interest? Like the Centurion we need to be able to ask in confidence and have genuine faith Jesus will answer our request. The Centurion understood the power and authority of Jesus. Sadly the response to Israel, who knew God, who had witnessed the miracles of God and Christ, was there was no one who had such faith as this Roman Gentile. Pray we may put aside our doubts, put aside our feelings and learn to have to total faith in Christ. Pray we really know and believe who Jesus said He was.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Undeserved grace
Acts 15:7-11 (NLT)
7 At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. 8 God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. 10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”
There were Pharisee Christians teaching Gentiles they needed to follow Mosaic laws along with their Christian belief in order to be saved. A meeting was convened and the apostle Peter addressed the group. The content of his message was the good news of salvation was given to all men without a distinction between them. Therefore it was unreasonable to impose laws and rules upon the Gentiles that even the Jews who lived under God’s hand were not able themselves to keep.
Margaret Thatcher in her October 1988 speech to The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland said the following: “Ideally, when Christians meet, as Christians, to take counsel together their purpose is not (or should not be) to ascertain what is the mind of the majority but what is the mind of the Holy Spirit—something which may be quite different.”
Sometimes we forget a Christian life is not about our rules, judgments or impositions we place on ourselves or others. A Christian life is about receiving the underserved grace of our Lord Jesus. It is about letting the Holy Spirit guide our individual lives and having a close fellowship with our Lord and Savior. A Christian life contains forgiveness and love towards each other as God has extended His merciful love towards us. And while we desire to live a righteous and holy life, perfection is impossible. So we need to stop trying to impose rules on others which we ourselves cannot keep.
7 At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. 8 God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. 10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”
There were Pharisee Christians teaching Gentiles they needed to follow Mosaic laws along with their Christian belief in order to be saved. A meeting was convened and the apostle Peter addressed the group. The content of his message was the good news of salvation was given to all men without a distinction between them. Therefore it was unreasonable to impose laws and rules upon the Gentiles that even the Jews who lived under God’s hand were not able themselves to keep.
Margaret Thatcher in her October 1988 speech to The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland said the following: “Ideally, when Christians meet, as Christians, to take counsel together their purpose is not (or should not be) to ascertain what is the mind of the majority but what is the mind of the Holy Spirit—something which may be quite different.”
Sometimes we forget a Christian life is not about our rules, judgments or impositions we place on ourselves or others. A Christian life is about receiving the underserved grace of our Lord Jesus. It is about letting the Holy Spirit guide our individual lives and having a close fellowship with our Lord and Savior. A Christian life contains forgiveness and love towards each other as God has extended His merciful love towards us. And while we desire to live a righteous and holy life, perfection is impossible. So we need to stop trying to impose rules on others which we ourselves cannot keep.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Rules that hold you back
Colossians 2:20-23 (NLT)
20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.
The apostle was pointing out rules established by man had no intrinsic worth and corrupted Christian faith. For there were those who tried to follow both Christ and follow Mosaic law thinking they would be wiser in doing so. Following these rituals did nothing more than to hinder their fellowship with Christ and tighten the yoke of sin.
In the film The Shawshank Redemption, Ellis "Red" Redding has spent his prime wasting away in prison because of a reckless act of violence he committed as a teenager. After 40 years of incarceration, Red finally receives his release to enjoy the freedom for which he's longed. However, he can't free himself from the habit of asking for permission each time he wishes to use the men's room. He's become "institutionalized." This newfound life scares him, because he's grown accustomed to the structure behind bars. Imprisonment had become safe for Red. He didn't have to exercise his own decision-making. Someone else did the thinking for him, and now, on the outside, he faces a prospect more daunting and terrifying than incarceration: freedom. Red confesses that he contemplates various ways to break his parole and return to the security of his prison cell. He sums up his dilemma in one line: "It is a terrible thing to live in fear." People caught up in legalism are no different than Red—scared to death of the freedom grace brings. It's much easier to retreat to our cells of dos and don'ts, of black and white categories. But the church should not protect people by erecting legalistic walls. Instead it can release people by equipping them to discern godly choices on their own. [Graham Johnson, Preaching to a Postmodern World: A Guide to Reaching Twenty-First Century Listeners; Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2001]
20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.
The apostle was pointing out rules established by man had no intrinsic worth and corrupted Christian faith. For there were those who tried to follow both Christ and follow Mosaic law thinking they would be wiser in doing so. Following these rituals did nothing more than to hinder their fellowship with Christ and tighten the yoke of sin.
In the film The Shawshank Redemption, Ellis "Red" Redding has spent his prime wasting away in prison because of a reckless act of violence he committed as a teenager. After 40 years of incarceration, Red finally receives his release to enjoy the freedom for which he's longed. However, he can't free himself from the habit of asking for permission each time he wishes to use the men's room. He's become "institutionalized." This newfound life scares him, because he's grown accustomed to the structure behind bars. Imprisonment had become safe for Red. He didn't have to exercise his own decision-making. Someone else did the thinking for him, and now, on the outside, he faces a prospect more daunting and terrifying than incarceration: freedom. Red confesses that he contemplates various ways to break his parole and return to the security of his prison cell. He sums up his dilemma in one line: "It is a terrible thing to live in fear." People caught up in legalism are no different than Red—scared to death of the freedom grace brings. It's much easier to retreat to our cells of dos and don'ts, of black and white categories. But the church should not protect people by erecting legalistic walls. Instead it can release people by equipping them to discern godly choices on their own. [Graham Johnson, Preaching to a Postmodern World: A Guide to Reaching Twenty-First Century Listeners; Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2001]
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Justified by Christ
Romans 3:23-26 (NLT)
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
The apostle gives a reminder there is NO ONE without sin. Everyone has fallen short of God’s standards, short of His righteousness, short of His glory, short of His compassion, short of His fairness, short of His justice and short of His mercy and love. Yet God declares those who believe in Jesus Christ justified and made right in His sight. It is not through keeping rules and laws that we are justified, but instead we are made right by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.
The apostle has some additional words that are helpful in Romans 9:30-33, “Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”” If we could take an inventory of those in heaven we might be surprised because of our own arrogance. The list would include those who had been thieves, liars, prostitutes, drunkards, adulterers and murderers. Their lives may have been met with disapproval and we would have condemned them. Some would be believe it was impossible for them to be in heaven. However, when they placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior they become justified in God’s sight. They may have been imprisoned for their deeds, but even in prison they were able to receive God’s mercy and grace. They may have been put to death, but they received eternal life in heaven because of their faith. You see Jesus Christ came for sinners, not just some, but for ALL sinners. So no matter what your past, no matter what you have done you can come just as you are to Jesus and be forgiven for all your sin.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
The apostle gives a reminder there is NO ONE without sin. Everyone has fallen short of God’s standards, short of His righteousness, short of His glory, short of His compassion, short of His fairness, short of His justice and short of His mercy and love. Yet God declares those who believe in Jesus Christ justified and made right in His sight. It is not through keeping rules and laws that we are justified, but instead we are made right by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.
The apostle has some additional words that are helpful in Romans 9:30-33, “Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”” If we could take an inventory of those in heaven we might be surprised because of our own arrogance. The list would include those who had been thieves, liars, prostitutes, drunkards, adulterers and murderers. Their lives may have been met with disapproval and we would have condemned them. Some would be believe it was impossible for them to be in heaven. However, when they placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior they become justified in God’s sight. They may have been imprisoned for their deeds, but even in prison they were able to receive God’s mercy and grace. They may have been put to death, but they received eternal life in heaven because of their faith. You see Jesus Christ came for sinners, not just some, but for ALL sinners. So no matter what your past, no matter what you have done you can come just as you are to Jesus and be forgiven for all your sin.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A safe haven from harassment
Ruth 2:21-22 (NLT)
21 Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.” 22 “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.”
Naomi had lost both her husband and sons. Ruth was one of Naomi’s daughter-in-laws who had chosen to stay with her and care for her. Ruth had said to Naomi, “"Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” Ruth was determined to be with her mother-in-law in order to help her. Naomi encouraged Ruth to work in the fields of Boaz, who was a relative of hers. Naomi knew Ruth might be harassed or assaulted in other fields, but the field of Boaz was a safe and refreshing place to be.
Unfortunately harassment and assaults of many types have taken place throughout history. In The Bible King David was familiar with harassment when he said in Psalms 119:161, “Powerful people harass me without cause.” Christ understood harassment as Jewish leaders persecuted Him for His acts of mercy towards others. Harassment in any form is wrong. Read the news and you will see many different reports of harassment today. There are teens driven to suicide by harassment from classmates. Politicians have been investigated for their harassment of assistants. It seems there is no place safe, but we know Ruth was offered a safe place where she could feel comfortable and protected. The church needs to be a safe place, a place of protection and free from harassment. And the church should understand this well for the church itself has been persecuted and harassed throughout history. Pray God’s people would provide a safe tower of refuge for those who are in need. Pray for those who have faced harassment that the Lord himself would heal their wounds.
21 Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.” 22 “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.”
Naomi had lost both her husband and sons. Ruth was one of Naomi’s daughter-in-laws who had chosen to stay with her and care for her. Ruth had said to Naomi, “"Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” Ruth was determined to be with her mother-in-law in order to help her. Naomi encouraged Ruth to work in the fields of Boaz, who was a relative of hers. Naomi knew Ruth might be harassed or assaulted in other fields, but the field of Boaz was a safe and refreshing place to be.
Unfortunately harassment and assaults of many types have taken place throughout history. In The Bible King David was familiar with harassment when he said in Psalms 119:161, “Powerful people harass me without cause.” Christ understood harassment as Jewish leaders persecuted Him for His acts of mercy towards others. Harassment in any form is wrong. Read the news and you will see many different reports of harassment today. There are teens driven to suicide by harassment from classmates. Politicians have been investigated for their harassment of assistants. It seems there is no place safe, but we know Ruth was offered a safe place where she could feel comfortable and protected. The church needs to be a safe place, a place of protection and free from harassment. And the church should understand this well for the church itself has been persecuted and harassed throughout history. Pray God’s people would provide a safe tower of refuge for those who are in need. Pray for those who have faced harassment that the Lord himself would heal their wounds.
Monday, October 4, 2010
False teachers
2 John 1:10-11 (NLT)
10 If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. 11 Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.
The Apostle John tells us we should take care about who we invite to speak to our family and friends. There are those who speak as if teaching religious truth, but they are deceived and they try to deceive others with false claims about Christ.
The other day I saw a couple driving a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder Convertible with a new car tag. This car easily stands out in the traffic. People were rolling their windows down to speak to this couple and tell them how much they loved the car. After all, this car is valued around $270,000 and is designed to impress. But I noticed a highway patrol staying back a few cars following this vehicle. This couple may have been out for a test drive; they may have just bought the car; or they could have taken it illegally. Either way the officer appeared suspicious about this couple driving this car and taking the time to ensure they were not in false ownership of the car while others were praising them about their car.
The Bible offers us some warnings about those who do not teach the truth concerning God and Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:13 says, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into Apostles of Christ.” These people claim a special knowledge of Christ, but they twist and warp the gospel of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:14 goes on to say, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; who end shall be according to their works.” Satan is a deceiver. He presents what appears to be the truth, but he has warped the truth to conform to his desire to lead people from the truth of God. In the same way Satan has tempted others to follow in his footsteps. These people preach what appears to be the word of God, but the principles do not line up with God’s purpose and will. Take care in listening to such people. Remember Jesus said such people come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravaging wolves. So be vigilant and watch out for those who are false in their teachings. We need to ensure the words spoken by others line up with the word of God and present the gospel in truth The gospel is Christ was beaten, tortured and executed on a cross for our sin; then he rose to life on the third day; and because of Christ’s sacrifice God has given grace and forgiveness of sin to all who believe.
10 If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. 11 Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.
The Apostle John tells us we should take care about who we invite to speak to our family and friends. There are those who speak as if teaching religious truth, but they are deceived and they try to deceive others with false claims about Christ.
The other day I saw a couple driving a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder Convertible with a new car tag. This car easily stands out in the traffic. People were rolling their windows down to speak to this couple and tell them how much they loved the car. After all, this car is valued around $270,000 and is designed to impress. But I noticed a highway patrol staying back a few cars following this vehicle. This couple may have been out for a test drive; they may have just bought the car; or they could have taken it illegally. Either way the officer appeared suspicious about this couple driving this car and taking the time to ensure they were not in false ownership of the car while others were praising them about their car.
The Bible offers us some warnings about those who do not teach the truth concerning God and Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:13 says, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into Apostles of Christ.” These people claim a special knowledge of Christ, but they twist and warp the gospel of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:14 goes on to say, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; who end shall be according to their works.” Satan is a deceiver. He presents what appears to be the truth, but he has warped the truth to conform to his desire to lead people from the truth of God. In the same way Satan has tempted others to follow in his footsteps. These people preach what appears to be the word of God, but the principles do not line up with God’s purpose and will. Take care in listening to such people. Remember Jesus said such people come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravaging wolves. So be vigilant and watch out for those who are false in their teachings. We need to ensure the words spoken by others line up with the word of God and present the gospel in truth The gospel is Christ was beaten, tortured and executed on a cross for our sin; then he rose to life on the third day; and because of Christ’s sacrifice God has given grace and forgiveness of sin to all who believe.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Uncontrolled sin
1 Timothy 5:19-20 (NLT)
19 Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. 20 Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.
The Apostle Paul gives advice to his beloved friend Timothy concerning the administration of the church. Paul states one should take the time to listen to several people before jumping to a conclusion concerning another. It is best to have at least 2 or 3 who can independently confirm an accusation and not just depend upon the voice of one person. Paul also says those who have been confronted and continue in their habitual sin while professing Jesus Christ should be reprimanded before the church so others will know those actions are inappropriate.
This is a story written by Pastor Matthew Woodley, “Evangelized by the Pizza Man”, from his blog dated 08/13/09. It demonstrates how uncontrolled sin in the church affects those around us.
My friend Emilio owns a tiny pizzeria that makes the best New York pizza on Long Island. Emilio hates “organized religion.” Above the stove where he sticks the orders he also collects small newspaper clippings about flawed and fallen ministers. I call it his “rack of shame.” Every time I come in for pizza he leans over the counter, slides a few clippings on to the counter and whispers, “Hey, look at this. This padre walked off with $80,000. This pastor slept with three church members. This guy abused little boys for twenty years. Okay, do you get why I don’t need your church?” Then with a triumphant flair he sticks the articles back on his “rack of shame.”
A few months ago, fed up with his clergy-bashing, I blurted out, “What does this prove, Emilio? So priests and pastors do despicable things. What if I started a rack of shame for people in your profession and then declared that I will never eat pizza?” Actually, over the next few weeks I tried rummaging through newspapers looking for articles about pizza guys doing nasty things – spitting in the bread dough, using cheap Ragu instead of homemade sauce – but apparently pizza guys live pretty clean lives.
Finally, after a month or two of bickering back and forth I came to Emilio and said, “I need to order two slices of cheese and I need to ask your forgiveness.” He bristled and shot back, “Is this a joke or a trick?”
“No, really, Emilio, I’m truly sorry for being a jerk and for arguing with you – and I want the cheese slices too. The truth is that ministers do screw up. We can be pretty decent people; but sometimes we’re frauds and hypocrites. Sometimes I’m a sham.”
Emilio immediately softened (and we’ve actually become friends), but I didn’t say this as an evangelism strategy. I said it because it’s true and it’s the Gospel. I love the line that summarizes the Gospel this way: We are more flawed than we’d ever dare to admit; we’re more loved than we’d ever dare to imagine. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to get this simple truth. I qualify for the cosmic rack of shame, but then through God’s infinite mercy, Jesus took my place on the rack and set me free.
Emilio, my outraged, anti-clerical, unchurched, pizza-making friend helped me see the Gospel again. I guess he evangelized me. Gosh, I have to be more careful: Jesus keeps sneaking up on me. I never know where he’ll pop up next.
19 Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. 20 Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.
The Apostle Paul gives advice to his beloved friend Timothy concerning the administration of the church. Paul states one should take the time to listen to several people before jumping to a conclusion concerning another. It is best to have at least 2 or 3 who can independently confirm an accusation and not just depend upon the voice of one person. Paul also says those who have been confronted and continue in their habitual sin while professing Jesus Christ should be reprimanded before the church so others will know those actions are inappropriate.
This is a story written by Pastor Matthew Woodley, “Evangelized by the Pizza Man”, from his blog dated 08/13/09. It demonstrates how uncontrolled sin in the church affects those around us.
My friend Emilio owns a tiny pizzeria that makes the best New York pizza on Long Island. Emilio hates “organized religion.” Above the stove where he sticks the orders he also collects small newspaper clippings about flawed and fallen ministers. I call it his “rack of shame.” Every time I come in for pizza he leans over the counter, slides a few clippings on to the counter and whispers, “Hey, look at this. This padre walked off with $80,000. This pastor slept with three church members. This guy abused little boys for twenty years. Okay, do you get why I don’t need your church?” Then with a triumphant flair he sticks the articles back on his “rack of shame.”
A few months ago, fed up with his clergy-bashing, I blurted out, “What does this prove, Emilio? So priests and pastors do despicable things. What if I started a rack of shame for people in your profession and then declared that I will never eat pizza?” Actually, over the next few weeks I tried rummaging through newspapers looking for articles about pizza guys doing nasty things – spitting in the bread dough, using cheap Ragu instead of homemade sauce – but apparently pizza guys live pretty clean lives.
Finally, after a month or two of bickering back and forth I came to Emilio and said, “I need to order two slices of cheese and I need to ask your forgiveness.” He bristled and shot back, “Is this a joke or a trick?”
“No, really, Emilio, I’m truly sorry for being a jerk and for arguing with you – and I want the cheese slices too. The truth is that ministers do screw up. We can be pretty decent people; but sometimes we’re frauds and hypocrites. Sometimes I’m a sham.”
Emilio immediately softened (and we’ve actually become friends), but I didn’t say this as an evangelism strategy. I said it because it’s true and it’s the Gospel. I love the line that summarizes the Gospel this way: We are more flawed than we’d ever dare to admit; we’re more loved than we’d ever dare to imagine. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to get this simple truth. I qualify for the cosmic rack of shame, but then through God’s infinite mercy, Jesus took my place on the rack and set me free.
Emilio, my outraged, anti-clerical, unchurched, pizza-making friend helped me see the Gospel again. I guess he evangelized me. Gosh, I have to be more careful: Jesus keeps sneaking up on me. I never know where he’ll pop up next.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Our false masks
1 John 3:18-20 (The Message)
18 -20 My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.
The Apostle John writing to those who believe in Christ tells them to practice demonstrating real love in their life towards others. By doing so one knows they are fulfilling God’s purpose to show His love through them to others. Yet there are times when failure to do so hinders our thoughts and makes us critical of ourselves. The apostle reminds us that God is greater than our worries and already knows what is going on with us. So we can confidently come to God knowing He is ready to ease our fears.
The American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote, “No man can for any considerable time wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally getting bewildered as to which one is true.” People will often deceive themselves and others by putting on different masks to hide their inward emotions. They do this to hide self doubt, fear, anxiety, depression, hurt, resentment, guilt and shame. These masks are uncomfortable to wear because we fear we might not be wearing the right mask for the right group. Relationships are false because we present a false image to others. Eventually we even begin to believe in our false self putting aside problems, difficulties or sins we are dealing with. And thought we might fool others and fool ourselves; God is not fooled. God knows who we are. God knows the motives behind our actions. God knows our heart and all of our ways. God knows our every thought. He is aware of our faults, our pains, our joys, our hurts, our happiness and our worries. God is not and cannot be fooled by the masks we were. Taking off the masks can be painful. It means being honest, it means being vulnerable, it means showing others our inward emotions. For most of us the masks have held back pain and kept it hidden inside of us. You may think you have it “all together” but in reality everything is falling apart. It is nice to know that God even seeing through our false masks loves us unconditionally. You might not believe that, but God is the only one who knows everything about you and loves you despite your flaws. God delights in us and finds us precious in His sight. It is time to let God help us take off our masks and stop pretending. It is time to let God enable us to see who we are and to be real with others.
Pray, Heavenly Father I want to be real to You and others. I am tired of trying to be someone I am not. Father please help me to be the person You called me to be. Remove these false masks I wear so I know who I really am in Christ. Help me to be honest with myself and others. Guide me where I need guidance. Most of all Lord thank you for loving me when I find myself not lovable. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
18 -20 My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.
The Apostle John writing to those who believe in Christ tells them to practice demonstrating real love in their life towards others. By doing so one knows they are fulfilling God’s purpose to show His love through them to others. Yet there are times when failure to do so hinders our thoughts and makes us critical of ourselves. The apostle reminds us that God is greater than our worries and already knows what is going on with us. So we can confidently come to God knowing He is ready to ease our fears.
The American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote, “No man can for any considerable time wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally getting bewildered as to which one is true.” People will often deceive themselves and others by putting on different masks to hide their inward emotions. They do this to hide self doubt, fear, anxiety, depression, hurt, resentment, guilt and shame. These masks are uncomfortable to wear because we fear we might not be wearing the right mask for the right group. Relationships are false because we present a false image to others. Eventually we even begin to believe in our false self putting aside problems, difficulties or sins we are dealing with. And thought we might fool others and fool ourselves; God is not fooled. God knows who we are. God knows the motives behind our actions. God knows our heart and all of our ways. God knows our every thought. He is aware of our faults, our pains, our joys, our hurts, our happiness and our worries. God is not and cannot be fooled by the masks we were. Taking off the masks can be painful. It means being honest, it means being vulnerable, it means showing others our inward emotions. For most of us the masks have held back pain and kept it hidden inside of us. You may think you have it “all together” but in reality everything is falling apart. It is nice to know that God even seeing through our false masks loves us unconditionally. You might not believe that, but God is the only one who knows everything about you and loves you despite your flaws. God delights in us and finds us precious in His sight. It is time to let God help us take off our masks and stop pretending. It is time to let God enable us to see who we are and to be real with others.
Pray, Heavenly Father I want to be real to You and others. I am tired of trying to be someone I am not. Father please help me to be the person You called me to be. Remove these false masks I wear so I know who I really am in Christ. Help me to be honest with myself and others. Guide me where I need guidance. Most of all Lord thank you for loving me when I find myself not lovable. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
