Today we salute two fine young men graduating from high school -- Mitchell Habeger and Nathan Weiland. Both are exemplary young adults who, we pray, will be successful in the things they feel called to do in life.
Here is some semi-useful information for them and for other high school graduates this May, 2009.
If you are graduating,You have been in school now for approximately 2160 days.
You have spent 12,960 hours in classes. That translates into 777,600 minutes.
So far you’ve lived approximately 18 years. You’ve been around 216 months.
You have been breathing 936 weeks. You’ve been in this earthly realm for 6,552 days. You’ve been here 157,248 hours. You’ve been here in this life for 9,434,880 minutes.
In that time you’ve slept approzimately 52,500 hours. The average person your age has watched T.V. 12,173 hours,and spent 7,488 hours eating (usually with a lot of pizza and burgers in the mix).
WHEN YOU ARRIVED,YOU WERE MORE THAN LIKELY WRINKLED, RED, BALD, TOOTHLESS, CRYING, COMPLAINING, AND YOU HAD NO CLOTHES ON.
YOU HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN 18 YEARS. HOW MUCH FARTHER WILL YOU GO? WE HOPE AND PRAY YOU WILL GO FAR ENOUGH TO CATCH YOUR DREAMS AND MAKE THEM TRUE.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Proceed Gently, With Awe and Reverence
Psalm 118:24 -- "This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" These are words to live by.
There are many wonderful things in the world, and although it is broken by sin and disobedience, we still see ample evidence of God's glory, of his fingerprints on His creation. Today we had a bright blue sky day with cotton candy white clouds, with a gentle breeze and warmer weather, ending with a bright orange sunset that Da Vinci himself would have trouble matching for beauty and grandeur.
The pattern for our lives is to be found not only in everyday miracles of natural wonder, but in the human wonders, inspired by God, that we find in grace, love,acceptance, kindness, forgiveness,compassion, concern and all the "ordinary" delights we find in being family to each other, and in being good neighbors.
Life is full of meaning. Every act of grace adds meaning. We must slow down and see them, and sometimes we must come to a full stop to carefully observe them, letting God's goodness soak into our souls, reflecting His light for others.
There was a poster I had on my wall in college years ago, which had a profound message for me. It said "Along the way, remember to stop and smell the flowers." Amen. Do not rush through life. Relish it. Live in gratitude to Your Creator. Do not waste time by complaining and moaning. Never stop looking for a reason to smile. Seize the joy that is sometimes hiding.
Proceed gently, with awe and reverence.
There are many wonderful things in the world, and although it is broken by sin and disobedience, we still see ample evidence of God's glory, of his fingerprints on His creation. Today we had a bright blue sky day with cotton candy white clouds, with a gentle breeze and warmer weather, ending with a bright orange sunset that Da Vinci himself would have trouble matching for beauty and grandeur.
The pattern for our lives is to be found not only in everyday miracles of natural wonder, but in the human wonders, inspired by God, that we find in grace, love,acceptance, kindness, forgiveness,compassion, concern and all the "ordinary" delights we find in being family to each other, and in being good neighbors.
Life is full of meaning. Every act of grace adds meaning. We must slow down and see them, and sometimes we must come to a full stop to carefully observe them, letting God's goodness soak into our souls, reflecting His light for others.
There was a poster I had on my wall in college years ago, which had a profound message for me. It said "Along the way, remember to stop and smell the flowers." Amen. Do not rush through life. Relish it. Live in gratitude to Your Creator. Do not waste time by complaining and moaning. Never stop looking for a reason to smile. Seize the joy that is sometimes hiding.
Proceed gently, with awe and reverence.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Live As Children of Light
"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:6-10
Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. He shines His light on our hearts – on our lives – and calls on us to reflect his light – to live as children of light.
Light is important. Where would we be without lights? Just consider a typical day. You get up and turn on the light in the bathroom so you can shower and shave and get ready for work. You turn on the light in the kitchen so you can see to pour milk on your cereal. The factory, warehouse, barn or office where you work has lights so that you can see what you are doing and be productive in your work. After work you get into the car and turn on the headlights so you can drive home safely.
You stop at a store and walk down well-lighted aisles to find something for supper. You use lights to cook the meal and do the dishes and read the newspaper. When you tuck the kids in bed, you turn on a nightlight for that added sense of security. After tucking yourself in bed, you breeze through a few pages of that novel and finally switch off the light so you can go to sleep.
And that’s just electrical light! Where would we be without sunlight? We wouldn’t even exist. Without the sun’s warming, life-giving rays this world would be nothing more than a cold, dark, dead sphere floating in space. Yes, light is important. Without light life could not exist.
But without Jesus, we would have no spiritual life in us. Without the Light of the World we would be cold and dark and dead. But, my friends, the Son has shined on us. The Spirit has called us to faith and made us God’s children, children of light.
In Ephesians 5 Paul encourages us to be what God has made us to be, to LIVE AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT. We are Enlightened by Christ. We are empowered to shine. We are human candles of hope, Exposing the darkness! Let your light shine for Jesus!
Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. He shines His light on our hearts – on our lives – and calls on us to reflect his light – to live as children of light.
Light is important. Where would we be without lights? Just consider a typical day. You get up and turn on the light in the bathroom so you can shower and shave and get ready for work. You turn on the light in the kitchen so you can see to pour milk on your cereal. The factory, warehouse, barn or office where you work has lights so that you can see what you are doing and be productive in your work. After work you get into the car and turn on the headlights so you can drive home safely.
You stop at a store and walk down well-lighted aisles to find something for supper. You use lights to cook the meal and do the dishes and read the newspaper. When you tuck the kids in bed, you turn on a nightlight for that added sense of security. After tucking yourself in bed, you breeze through a few pages of that novel and finally switch off the light so you can go to sleep.
And that’s just electrical light! Where would we be without sunlight? We wouldn’t even exist. Without the sun’s warming, life-giving rays this world would be nothing more than a cold, dark, dead sphere floating in space. Yes, light is important. Without light life could not exist.
But without Jesus, we would have no spiritual life in us. Without the Light of the World we would be cold and dark and dead. But, my friends, the Son has shined on us. The Spirit has called us to faith and made us God’s children, children of light.
In Ephesians 5 Paul encourages us to be what God has made us to be, to LIVE AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT. We are Enlightened by Christ. We are empowered to shine. We are human candles of hope, Exposing the darkness! Let your light shine for Jesus!
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Virtuous Woman -- Much Like Many Contemporary Women She Juggles Family and Career, But She Fears the Lord!
Proverbs 31 has the famous passage about the virtuous woman. I see images of my mother and my wife in her. It is a passage worth reading, beginning at verse 10.
It is interesting to note that this last part of Proverbs 31, beginning with verse 10, consists of 22 verses. Each verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet (in proper order). The same alphabetical pattern is found in some of the Psalms and may have been used as an aid in memorizing Scripture. The most well-known alphabetical Psalm is Psalm 119 where there are 22 alphabetical sections of eight verses each. In the Hebrew text of Proverbs 31, each verse is also clearly divided into two parts (for example, in verse 10---Part 1: Who can find a virtuous woman? Part 2: For her price is far above rubies). This same two-part format is found in all of these verses. The only exception might be verse 15 which seems to be divided into three parts.
The first part of verse 10 literally reads, "Who can find a woman of strength?" The term "virtuous" is from a noun meaning strength, efficiency, ability. Here it refers to strength of character, that is, moral strength and firmness. The Old Testament uses this expression of a virtuous woman in two other places. In Ruth 3:11 it is used of Ruth. Everyone in the city knew that she was a virtuous woman! When a woman has strength of character (fears God, loves truth, hates sin), then others will take note and recognize this. It will be very obvious because it is so unusual. People are usually so morally weak and so anemic in character, that when a man or woman of strength shows up it is quite evident to all. The other place the term is used is in Proverbs 12:4 where we learn that a virtuous woman (lit--a woman of strength) makes her husband blessed and she is to be praised.
And note that although Proverbs 31 talks of women in the context of wifehood and mothernood, there is ample Biblical evidence of God’s love, respect and call upon single women and widows who serve the Lord. They too may be deemed to be “virtuous women” in the light of the verses that apply to them in their unmarried state, both in Proverbs 31 and elsewhere in the Scriptures. We must give our deepest respect to all virtuous ladies among the godly single women and widows!
There is a lot to be said about women in the Book of Proverbs. As you know, the Book of Proverbs is a list of proverbs or statements of wisdom, and throughout the Book of Proverbs there is a continual interest in women.
There is a woman who appears frequently in the Book of Proverbs, and she is the opposite of the "excellent woman;" she is the "adulteress." She flatters with her lips; she forsakes the covenant with her own husband, to seduce someone else. The "adulteress" has lips that drip honey, she has a smooth tongue and she hunts for the precious life of some victim.
There is not only the "adulteress" but there is the "noisy woman," the loud, boisterous woman, with whom no one wants to live, and the normal man would prefer, the proverbs says, "to live in the corner of the roof, in a tiny little place, than in a big house with a boisterous woman. There is the "foolish woman," there is the "rebellious woman," there is the "quarrelsome woman," and they are all really set in contrast to this "excellent virtuous woman" here in chapter 31. There is in chapter 12:4 of Proverbs, this statement, "A virtuous woman is the crown of her husband, but she who shames him is as rottenness in his bones."
There is no other Scripture portion that even remotely gives such a detailed description of the “virtuous woman” as does Proverbs 31:10-31. Repeating some of the highlights, the woman that God’s Word describes as praiseworthy:
• is of noble character
• is fully trustworthy
• is an asset to her husband
• is domestically skilled
• is concerned that her household be well and nutritiously fed
• is diligent, arising before dawn and busy until after dark
• is endowed with a good business sense, even to the point of buying a field and planting a vineyard
• may have her own profitable home-based business
• is a hard worker
• is generous to and aware of the poor and needy
• is wise in preparing her household for the needs of the days to come
• is wise in ensuring that she and her family are well and appropriately clothed
• is in proper relationship to her husband, who is out conducting his business affairs at the city gates
• is a woman of wisdom
• shows dignity and strength
• is a faithful instructor to her children
• is diligent to watch over her household
• is the recipient of blessing and praise from her children and her husband
• is above all a God-fearing, godly woman!
Such a woman has been enshrined in the Scriptures for several thousand years as God’s role model for the godly, virtuous woman. To the older women I say, teach these things to the younger women. To the younger women, I exhort you to resist the enticements of the antifamily feminist teachings of our day. Reach out, rather, to embrace God’s vision for you, His “virtuous women”. To such a woman God says (vs. 31), “Let her works praise her at the city gates.”
There is much wisdom in Proverbs, and especially in Proverbs 31—we see a woman described here who is like many contemporary women – balancing home and business, motherhood and a career, domesticity and an example that women can be just as active as men in contributing to society, all aided by divine guidance and wisdom.
All of life, Proverbs proclaims that the wise life is to be lived in the fear and respect of the Lord. A proper respect God is the beginning of wisdom, the end of wisdom, and the whole of wisdom. Or as Jesus, the Wisdom of God incarnate, once put it, "Do not worry about what you will eat or what you will wear. But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you as well." We do not need to know much more than that the Lord Jesus abides with us every day and in every situation. The wise live like they really believe that what the Bible says is true. Amen.
It is interesting to note that this last part of Proverbs 31, beginning with verse 10, consists of 22 verses. Each verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet (in proper order). The same alphabetical pattern is found in some of the Psalms and may have been used as an aid in memorizing Scripture. The most well-known alphabetical Psalm is Psalm 119 where there are 22 alphabetical sections of eight verses each. In the Hebrew text of Proverbs 31, each verse is also clearly divided into two parts (for example, in verse 10---Part 1: Who can find a virtuous woman? Part 2: For her price is far above rubies). This same two-part format is found in all of these verses. The only exception might be verse 15 which seems to be divided into three parts.
The first part of verse 10 literally reads, "Who can find a woman of strength?" The term "virtuous" is from a noun meaning strength, efficiency, ability. Here it refers to strength of character, that is, moral strength and firmness. The Old Testament uses this expression of a virtuous woman in two other places. In Ruth 3:11 it is used of Ruth. Everyone in the city knew that she was a virtuous woman! When a woman has strength of character (fears God, loves truth, hates sin), then others will take note and recognize this. It will be very obvious because it is so unusual. People are usually so morally weak and so anemic in character, that when a man or woman of strength shows up it is quite evident to all. The other place the term is used is in Proverbs 12:4 where we learn that a virtuous woman (lit--a woman of strength) makes her husband blessed and she is to be praised.
And note that although Proverbs 31 talks of women in the context of wifehood and mothernood, there is ample Biblical evidence of God’s love, respect and call upon single women and widows who serve the Lord. They too may be deemed to be “virtuous women” in the light of the verses that apply to them in their unmarried state, both in Proverbs 31 and elsewhere in the Scriptures. We must give our deepest respect to all virtuous ladies among the godly single women and widows!
There is a lot to be said about women in the Book of Proverbs. As you know, the Book of Proverbs is a list of proverbs or statements of wisdom, and throughout the Book of Proverbs there is a continual interest in women.
There is a woman who appears frequently in the Book of Proverbs, and she is the opposite of the "excellent woman;" she is the "adulteress." She flatters with her lips; she forsakes the covenant with her own husband, to seduce someone else. The "adulteress" has lips that drip honey, she has a smooth tongue and she hunts for the precious life of some victim.
There is not only the "adulteress" but there is the "noisy woman," the loud, boisterous woman, with whom no one wants to live, and the normal man would prefer, the proverbs says, "to live in the corner of the roof, in a tiny little place, than in a big house with a boisterous woman. There is the "foolish woman," there is the "rebellious woman," there is the "quarrelsome woman," and they are all really set in contrast to this "excellent virtuous woman" here in chapter 31. There is in chapter 12:4 of Proverbs, this statement, "A virtuous woman is the crown of her husband, but she who shames him is as rottenness in his bones."
There is no other Scripture portion that even remotely gives such a detailed description of the “virtuous woman” as does Proverbs 31:10-31. Repeating some of the highlights, the woman that God’s Word describes as praiseworthy:
• is of noble character
• is fully trustworthy
• is an asset to her husband
• is domestically skilled
• is concerned that her household be well and nutritiously fed
• is diligent, arising before dawn and busy until after dark
• is endowed with a good business sense, even to the point of buying a field and planting a vineyard
• may have her own profitable home-based business
• is a hard worker
• is generous to and aware of the poor and needy
• is wise in preparing her household for the needs of the days to come
• is wise in ensuring that she and her family are well and appropriately clothed
• is in proper relationship to her husband, who is out conducting his business affairs at the city gates
• is a woman of wisdom
• shows dignity and strength
• is a faithful instructor to her children
• is diligent to watch over her household
• is the recipient of blessing and praise from her children and her husband
• is above all a God-fearing, godly woman!
Such a woman has been enshrined in the Scriptures for several thousand years as God’s role model for the godly, virtuous woman. To the older women I say, teach these things to the younger women. To the younger women, I exhort you to resist the enticements of the antifamily feminist teachings of our day. Reach out, rather, to embrace God’s vision for you, His “virtuous women”. To such a woman God says (vs. 31), “Let her works praise her at the city gates.”
There is much wisdom in Proverbs, and especially in Proverbs 31—we see a woman described here who is like many contemporary women – balancing home and business, motherhood and a career, domesticity and an example that women can be just as active as men in contributing to society, all aided by divine guidance and wisdom.
All of life, Proverbs proclaims that the wise life is to be lived in the fear and respect of the Lord. A proper respect God is the beginning of wisdom, the end of wisdom, and the whole of wisdom. Or as Jesus, the Wisdom of God incarnate, once put it, "Do not worry about what you will eat or what you will wear. But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you as well." We do not need to know much more than that the Lord Jesus abides with us every day and in every situation. The wise live like they really believe that what the Bible says is true. Amen.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Great Women of the Bible
Happy Mother's Day and happy day to all the women of our lives and our churches. You all add beauty and grace to the lives of the rest of us! Praise God for women! Praise God for mothers.
The Bible shows us many women who served God in grace and power - women who contributed to making the world a better place as they served the Lord. Women served God in many ways!
1. Eve, the mother of humanity – a sinner like us, but one created in His image (Gen. 1:27).
2. Sarah, wife of Abraham, mother of the Hebrew people (Genesis
3. Miriam who led the people in praising God after the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex 15:21).
4. Rahab, the prostitute, who helped the Hebrews, and became Jesus ancestor (Joshua 2).
5. Ruth who put God first and became the ancestress of King David (Ruth 1:16; 4:17).
6. Deborah, a judge in Israel, who teamed with Barak to save the nation (Judges 5).
7. Hannah who 'lent to the Lord' the child of her prayers (1Sam 1:28).
8. Esther who took her life in her hands to plead for her doomed people. (Esther 4).
9. The widow whose obedience sustained the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:9-16).
10. A little captive maid who told Naaman's wife of the man of God (Elisha) who could cure Naaman of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:2-4).
11. The virtuous woman spoken of in Proverbs 31 – a model for noble womanhood.
12. The woman who anointed Jesus with the expensive ointment in love (Mk14:3).
13. The poor widow, whose gift of two mites won Jesus' praise (Mk 12:43).
14. Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus, who gave birth to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Luke 1:28), who carried God in her womb.
15. Martha who served and Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:38-42).
16. Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles, who brought spices to anoint Jesus, who first greeted the risen Lord and who received the first commission -'Go tell' (Jn 20:1-18).
17. Lydia, the merchant woman, who was a first convert in Macedonia (Acts 16:14), who opened her home and set a gospel fire in Philippi!
18. Dorcas - full of good works (Acts 9:36), who touched many with her good Christian life, and who God had Peter raise from the dead.
19. Pheobe & Priscilla – good and gracious servants of the church (Ro 16:1-4).
20. Lois and Eunice, Timothy’s grandmother and mother, raised him in the faith (2 Tim 1:5).
21. The Samaritan woman at the well who Jesus transformed into an evangelist, who told many about Jesus the Messiah.(John 4).
22. Persis 'the beloved', and Tryphena and Tryphosa who labored for the Lord (Ro. 16:12).
23. The four daughters of Philip the evangelist, who were prophetesses for God (Acts 21:9)
24.Jael, who God used to kill the evil General Sisera with a tent peg, and therefore give the Hebrews the victory in Judges 5:24-27.
25. Peter’s (Cephas) wife, who traveled with him on gospel missions (1 Cor. 9:5). Jesus often stayed at Peter’s house and healed her mother.
The Bible shows us many women who served God in grace and power - women who contributed to making the world a better place as they served the Lord. Women served God in many ways!
1. Eve, the mother of humanity – a sinner like us, but one created in His image (Gen. 1:27).
2. Sarah, wife of Abraham, mother of the Hebrew people (Genesis
3. Miriam who led the people in praising God after the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex 15:21).
4. Rahab, the prostitute, who helped the Hebrews, and became Jesus ancestor (Joshua 2).
5. Ruth who put God first and became the ancestress of King David (Ruth 1:16; 4:17).
6. Deborah, a judge in Israel, who teamed with Barak to save the nation (Judges 5).
7. Hannah who 'lent to the Lord' the child of her prayers (1Sam 1:28).
8. Esther who took her life in her hands to plead for her doomed people. (Esther 4).
9. The widow whose obedience sustained the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:9-16).
10. A little captive maid who told Naaman's wife of the man of God (Elisha) who could cure Naaman of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:2-4).
11. The virtuous woman spoken of in Proverbs 31 – a model for noble womanhood.
12. The woman who anointed Jesus with the expensive ointment in love (Mk14:3).
13. The poor widow, whose gift of two mites won Jesus' praise (Mk 12:43).
14. Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus, who gave birth to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Luke 1:28), who carried God in her womb.
15. Martha who served and Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:38-42).
16. Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles, who brought spices to anoint Jesus, who first greeted the risen Lord and who received the first commission -'Go tell' (Jn 20:1-18).
17. Lydia, the merchant woman, who was a first convert in Macedonia (Acts 16:14), who opened her home and set a gospel fire in Philippi!
18. Dorcas - full of good works (Acts 9:36), who touched many with her good Christian life, and who God had Peter raise from the dead.
19. Pheobe & Priscilla – good and gracious servants of the church (Ro 16:1-4).
20. Lois and Eunice, Timothy’s grandmother and mother, raised him in the faith (2 Tim 1:5).
21. The Samaritan woman at the well who Jesus transformed into an evangelist, who told many about Jesus the Messiah.(John 4).
22. Persis 'the beloved', and Tryphena and Tryphosa who labored for the Lord (Ro. 16:12).
23. The four daughters of Philip the evangelist, who were prophetesses for God (Acts 21:9)
24.Jael, who God used to kill the evil General Sisera with a tent peg, and therefore give the Hebrews the victory in Judges 5:24-27.
25. Peter’s (Cephas) wife, who traveled with him on gospel missions (1 Cor. 9:5). Jesus often stayed at Peter’s house and healed her mother.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
THE POWER OF GRACE!
Here is a great statement about the power of grace:
“The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey’. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.” ~Timothy Keller
Grace help a believer to trust in God for His constant provision and care on a daily basis. God has promised that He will provide all our needs in Christ Jesus. The daily cares, frustration, and worries of this world must be given to Him. In John 16:33 Jesus said "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Jesus promises that in Him we will have peace and through Him we can overcome our circumstances.
What is the power of grace? Grace means that we can rely on the beautiful simplicity of God's eternal plan because it was obediently fulfilled by Jesus Christ. When we trust Jesus Christ as Savior we know that we are His forever. In addition, we can have peace concerning His daily provision, and we can have that right here and right now. Grace is indeed powerful and practical. May you be overwhelmed by His grace.
“The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey’. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.” ~Timothy Keller
Grace help a believer to trust in God for His constant provision and care on a daily basis. God has promised that He will provide all our needs in Christ Jesus. The daily cares, frustration, and worries of this world must be given to Him. In John 16:33 Jesus said "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Jesus promises that in Him we will have peace and through Him we can overcome our circumstances.
What is the power of grace? Grace means that we can rely on the beautiful simplicity of God's eternal plan because it was obediently fulfilled by Jesus Christ. When we trust Jesus Christ as Savior we know that we are His forever. In addition, we can have peace concerning His daily provision, and we can have that right here and right now. Grace is indeed powerful and practical. May you be overwhelmed by His grace.
Monday, May 04, 2009
If You Do Not Do Things in Love, You Have Missed the Point!
Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another. Romans 12: 10
My Bible tells me that love is the key to Christianity. But so many judgmental Christians are ready to cast stones, spiritual versions of the ones that killed Stephen and battered Paul. So many pastors have preached judgmentalism -- the Pharisees' life milk - -and yet ignore the revolutionary social calls of Christ -- to be known by our love, not by our judgementalism.
Read the Bible. In the New Testament, which is OUR COVENANT (we learn from the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, but the New Testament contains the Christian's covenant!), time after time the rule of love is taught. Why is it not obeyed by so many so called Christians?
Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity). 1 John 3: 18
Living an authentic Christian life requires only two simple virtues: faith and love. Using these two qualities, a person is able to learn and exhibit the wide assortment of values required for good Christians as well as any good people in general. Faith and love together are the two keys to living a happy life as a Christian. The Bible tells us so!
Love of others and of self can be summarized in the golden rule of, "do onto others as you would want done to yourself", so through learning to love, we can come to understand compassion, respect, and hope for change in Christ. Close, loving relationships, above all, are the key to happiness in life and love is the key to securing those relationships.
He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. 1 John 4: 8
Christians are called to love in all different ways. First and foremost, a person must learn to love themselves, and only then can they learn how to love others. An authentic Christian life of love should be filled with selflessness, sharing, and compassion for others. Through helping others who are less fortunate, we fulfill something in ourselves. To live an authentic Christian life means putting love of others above petty selfishness, judgmentalism, rivalries, and worship of idols like money.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11: 6(NKJV)
The second aspect of an authentic Christian life, faith, allows us to have a basis for our lives, as well as a more intimate relationship with God. If someone questioned everything instead of having faith in others as well as God, that person could never live a happy life because he would never be fulfilled. There are too many questions in life to know the answer to them all, and anyone who searches for them all are misguided. Faith, therefore, is one of the two keys to real happiness in life. Love without faith isn't necessarily an inauthentic way to live for non-Christians, but for Christians, faith is fundamental.
My Bible tells me that love is the key to Christianity. But so many judgmental Christians are ready to cast stones, spiritual versions of the ones that killed Stephen and battered Paul. So many pastors have preached judgmentalism -- the Pharisees' life milk - -and yet ignore the revolutionary social calls of Christ -- to be known by our love, not by our judgementalism.
Read the Bible. In the New Testament, which is OUR COVENANT (we learn from the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, but the New Testament contains the Christian's covenant!), time after time the rule of love is taught. Why is it not obeyed by so many so called Christians?
Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity). 1 John 3: 18
Living an authentic Christian life requires only two simple virtues: faith and love. Using these two qualities, a person is able to learn and exhibit the wide assortment of values required for good Christians as well as any good people in general. Faith and love together are the two keys to living a happy life as a Christian. The Bible tells us so!
Love of others and of self can be summarized in the golden rule of, "do onto others as you would want done to yourself", so through learning to love, we can come to understand compassion, respect, and hope for change in Christ. Close, loving relationships, above all, are the key to happiness in life and love is the key to securing those relationships.
He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. 1 John 4: 8
Christians are called to love in all different ways. First and foremost, a person must learn to love themselves, and only then can they learn how to love others. An authentic Christian life of love should be filled with selflessness, sharing, and compassion for others. Through helping others who are less fortunate, we fulfill something in ourselves. To live an authentic Christian life means putting love of others above petty selfishness, judgmentalism, rivalries, and worship of idols like money.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11: 6(NKJV)
The second aspect of an authentic Christian life, faith, allows us to have a basis for our lives, as well as a more intimate relationship with God. If someone questioned everything instead of having faith in others as well as God, that person could never live a happy life because he would never be fulfilled. There are too many questions in life to know the answer to them all, and anyone who searches for them all are misguided. Faith, therefore, is one of the two keys to real happiness in life. Love without faith isn't necessarily an inauthentic way to live for non-Christians, but for Christians, faith is fundamental.
Why are So Many Like Pharisees, When Jesus Rebuked Them?
Jesus said: “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter, without leaving the former undone.” (Luke 11:42)
When we read Jesus’ rebuke to the Pharisees, it is easy to just think, “Boy, the Pharisees sure were bad!” – and then to go no further. Who were the Pharisees in Jesus' time?
They were the experts in the law – which is to say Bible scholars. Or, at least, they thought they knew it all. But according to Jesus, they did not. They lacked love,and without love, all that knowledge is hollow. In our passage in Luke, He is rebuking anyone who acts like a Pharisee. Since Jesus has a low opinion of Pharisees, why do so many people in our churches act like Pharisees, instead of people who truly love as Jesus calls on us to do?
Today, the majority of Pharisitical people are found right here, among us, in the church. Jesus hates hypocrisy, and the greatest hang out for hypocrites is often found in Christ’s church. So let us open and inspect our own hearts and think about the Pharisee inside of us.
In Luke 11:39 it says: “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.’” Jesus points out that a hypocrite will clean the outside of a cup, because he wants people to see how clean he is. But he will not take the time to clean the inside, because he doesn’t really care if he is clean – just so long as people think that he is. He is doing everything for a show, so that people may praise him. How foolish! It is like worrying about dirt on your hands, but ignoring greed and wickedness on your heart. Which is the more important to wash clean?
And then the Pharisee is always pointing out the sins of others, just as they complained and criticized Jesus. He was not respected by the Pharisees because He reached out to the hurting people, the down and out, with love. The Pharisees wanted him to turn such people away, because they did not measure up in outward appearances. But Jesus reached out to the poor, the outcasts -- to the tax collectors and the prostitutes.
What is it about Jesus message that so many in the church simply do not get? Jesus won with love, not force. He won people over with his grace, mercy and love. He changed them from the inside out, not the outside in. He met them in their sin and then He showed them a better way, and they changed for the better. But He did not turn anyone away because they were not "good enough." He said it Himself -- only God is truly good. The fact is, we are all sinners,and, if we are saved, we are saved by grace, not by our works or our own "goodness."
So, I say to you, if you are a Pharisee, who do you think you are fooling? God knows your heart. Jesus said woe to Pharisees then, and He says woe to Pharisees now!If you are a modern day Pharisee, it is time to get right with God. Its time to wash the inside of the cup. It is harder than washing the outside, but it is not difficult. Only our pride keeps us from repenting and confessing our sins. For instance, the Pharisees looked like better people than the tax collectors and prostitutes, but Jesus said that these public sinners would enter heaven ahead of the religious leaders.
The effect of the Pharisee's way is to drive people away from God, and to lower God’s royal law of love to the same standard as their own rules. But this is not the way of Christ, who came to set men free. Jesus proclaimed, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)
Remember that when you point out some one's weaknesses, four fingers are pointing back at you. Try to give out grace the way the Lord is gracious to you.
And know that Jesus will not turn you away. You will not have to pass some kind of test for Him to love you. Do you feel burdened? Come to Jesus who will give you rest. If someone needs help and encouragement, lend a hand. Love them. Jesus said, they will know us as Christians, by our love. (Mark 12:28-31). Be a lover like Jesus, not a loveless, finger pointing Pharisee!
When we read Jesus’ rebuke to the Pharisees, it is easy to just think, “Boy, the Pharisees sure were bad!” – and then to go no further. Who were the Pharisees in Jesus' time?
They were the experts in the law – which is to say Bible scholars. Or, at least, they thought they knew it all. But according to Jesus, they did not. They lacked love,and without love, all that knowledge is hollow. In our passage in Luke, He is rebuking anyone who acts like a Pharisee. Since Jesus has a low opinion of Pharisees, why do so many people in our churches act like Pharisees, instead of people who truly love as Jesus calls on us to do?
Today, the majority of Pharisitical people are found right here, among us, in the church. Jesus hates hypocrisy, and the greatest hang out for hypocrites is often found in Christ’s church. So let us open and inspect our own hearts and think about the Pharisee inside of us.
In Luke 11:39 it says: “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.’” Jesus points out that a hypocrite will clean the outside of a cup, because he wants people to see how clean he is. But he will not take the time to clean the inside, because he doesn’t really care if he is clean – just so long as people think that he is. He is doing everything for a show, so that people may praise him. How foolish! It is like worrying about dirt on your hands, but ignoring greed and wickedness on your heart. Which is the more important to wash clean?
And then the Pharisee is always pointing out the sins of others, just as they complained and criticized Jesus. He was not respected by the Pharisees because He reached out to the hurting people, the down and out, with love. The Pharisees wanted him to turn such people away, because they did not measure up in outward appearances. But Jesus reached out to the poor, the outcasts -- to the tax collectors and the prostitutes.
What is it about Jesus message that so many in the church simply do not get? Jesus won with love, not force. He won people over with his grace, mercy and love. He changed them from the inside out, not the outside in. He met them in their sin and then He showed them a better way, and they changed for the better. But He did not turn anyone away because they were not "good enough." He said it Himself -- only God is truly good. The fact is, we are all sinners,and, if we are saved, we are saved by grace, not by our works or our own "goodness."
So, I say to you, if you are a Pharisee, who do you think you are fooling? God knows your heart. Jesus said woe to Pharisees then, and He says woe to Pharisees now!If you are a modern day Pharisee, it is time to get right with God. Its time to wash the inside of the cup. It is harder than washing the outside, but it is not difficult. Only our pride keeps us from repenting and confessing our sins. For instance, the Pharisees looked like better people than the tax collectors and prostitutes, but Jesus said that these public sinners would enter heaven ahead of the religious leaders.
The effect of the Pharisee's way is to drive people away from God, and to lower God’s royal law of love to the same standard as their own rules. But this is not the way of Christ, who came to set men free. Jesus proclaimed, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)
Remember that when you point out some one's weaknesses, four fingers are pointing back at you. Try to give out grace the way the Lord is gracious to you.
And know that Jesus will not turn you away. You will not have to pass some kind of test for Him to love you. Do you feel burdened? Come to Jesus who will give you rest. If someone needs help and encouragement, lend a hand. Love them. Jesus said, they will know us as Christians, by our love. (Mark 12:28-31). Be a lover like Jesus, not a loveless, finger pointing Pharisee!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Bloom Where God Has Planted You!
Bloom Where You Are Planted!
As we are in the spring and planting is near, the phrase bloom where you are planted comes to mind. As I flew home from Kansas City yesterday I saw many fields below the plane where tilling had been done and the ground was ready for the seed. These crops will bloom where they are planted, if they get the nutrient and nurture they need.
How goes it with you? Are you blooming where God has planted you? Are you bringing forth a good yield? Are you being fruitful and productive for the Lord?
Could it be you need more nutrients? (the Word in church and study, prayer, fellowship with Christians, etc.) Could it be that you need more nurture? (teaching by the pastor and church leaders, the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the care of a Christian family in addition to your natural family, the care of God that comes from being in His presence and worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth).
Could it be that you need some weeding, to get toxic things (sin, disobedience, apathy) out of your life? Could it be that you need more light (from the Son) and more water (from the Living Water of the Holy Spirit)? If so, go to the Light and Water station that is your church every time you can and get filled up and warmed from the inside out.
Are you blooming for God? A blooming Christian is the opposite of a "blooming idiot" for the wisest thing you can do in your life is to give yourself to God and let Him help you to grow for Him.
As we are in the spring and planting is near, the phrase bloom where you are planted comes to mind. As I flew home from Kansas City yesterday I saw many fields below the plane where tilling had been done and the ground was ready for the seed. These crops will bloom where they are planted, if they get the nutrient and nurture they need.
How goes it with you? Are you blooming where God has planted you? Are you bringing forth a good yield? Are you being fruitful and productive for the Lord?
Could it be you need more nutrients? (the Word in church and study, prayer, fellowship with Christians, etc.) Could it be that you need more nurture? (teaching by the pastor and church leaders, the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the care of a Christian family in addition to your natural family, the care of God that comes from being in His presence and worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth).
Could it be that you need some weeding, to get toxic things (sin, disobedience, apathy) out of your life? Could it be that you need more light (from the Son) and more water (from the Living Water of the Holy Spirit)? If so, go to the Light and Water station that is your church every time you can and get filled up and warmed from the inside out.
Are you blooming for God? A blooming Christian is the opposite of a "blooming idiot" for the wisest thing you can do in your life is to give yourself to God and let Him help you to grow for Him.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Holy Week is a Special Time for Contemplation of Christ's Sacrifice for Each One of Us
Holy Week is approaching. The time is at hand to think about the arrest, the trial, the crucifixion, the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The time is at hand to think about the Son of God voluntarily going to the Cross.
Each person needs to savor the meaning of the Cross. Each person needs to meditate on the meaning of the Cross. Each person needs to attempt to fathom the degree of sacrifice, the degree of humility represented in Jesus Christ going to the Cross.
The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians: "I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."(I Cor.2:2) Believers need to determine the amount of time they devote daily to Jesus Christ.
Believers need to determine the amount of time they will devote to the Lord Jesus Christ during Holy Week. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are important services that every Christian should attend. Each service is rich in content. Each service is rich in Scripture. Each service directs the mind and heart and soul to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The soul of each person deserves attention throughout life. The soul deserves care throughout life. The point at which individuals become conscious of and begin to care for the soul can vary. A small number of individuals are serious about Christ from an early age. A small number of individuals are active believers from an early age and remain active throughout life. Some individuals are active and conscious sinners but at a certain point in life turn to Christ in repentance. When the commitment to Christ is made, concern for the soul arises.
The battle for the soul is a daily battle. The battle for the soul is a moment by moment battle. Temptations, passions, diversions, detractions, outside influences and internal thoughts can create tension in the person and put the soul in peril.Believers must remain close to Christ. Believers must turn to Christ in the face of temptations and distractions, in face of contrary thoughts and inclinations.
Only Christ gives the strength to battle for the soul. The First Epistle of St. John says: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."(I Jn.4:4)
The soul has greater value than the whole world(Mt.16:26) Holy Week is the time to contemplate the condition of the soul. Holy Week is the time to contemplate Christ and the care of the soul.
Holy Week is the time to contemplate what is valued most in life. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."(Mt. 6:21)Each believer determines the allocation of time and personal resources. Each believer applies personal time and resources to the pursuit of goals, to the living of daily life.
Family and friends, work and community, church and personal interests are allocated a portion of a believers time and resources. Time studies can show where waste exists. Time studies can show where a certain area or areas of life can receive greater emphasis and attention than others.
During Holy Week believers will answer the question of the importance given to the Lord Jesus Christ. During Holy Week believers will answer the question of weight and importance given to the soul. The Lord God deserves expressions of appreciation. The Lord God deserves acknowledgement of His Glory. The Lord God deserves expressions of love.
Holy Week affords the believer the opportunity to hear and study the accounts of Jesus crucifixion. Holy Week affords the believer the opportunity to join with others in being attentive to the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
By coming to church during Holy Week, believers not only come to learn, believers by their presence witness to the importance assigned to the life in Christ. By attending church during Holy Week, believers declare by action that church services are an important part of life.
The soul requires nourishment. Holy Week provides nourishment for the soul. Opportunities exist for receiving the Precious Body and Blood of Christin the Lord's Supper. Holy Week should be a week of serious prayer. Holy Week should be a week of serious concentration on Christ. Holy Week is a movement toward the joy of the celebration of the Resurrection!
Believers know going into Holy Week where Holy Week leads. Believers know of the Cross and the Tomb. Believers also know about the Resurrection. Believers immersed in Holy Week open their hearts and minds to the experience of Christ.
Holy Week is an invitation to the full life in the Church. Holy Week is an invitation to share with Christ the experience of betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and resurrection. Holy Week can transform the believer if he or she enters Holy Week seeking transformation. Our Lord said: "All things are possible to him who believes."(Mk.9:23)
The mind, heart and soul have much to deal with in Holy Week. The mind, heart and soul have much to absorb. The mind, heart and soul are of central importance during Holy Week. Christ was upon the Cross between two criminals. Believers going through Holy Week come face to face with Christ upon the Cross. How many will shed tears of repentance? How many will shed tears of love? How many will shed tears of thanksgiving? How will you observe Holy Week this year?
Each person needs to savor the meaning of the Cross. Each person needs to meditate on the meaning of the Cross. Each person needs to attempt to fathom the degree of sacrifice, the degree of humility represented in Jesus Christ going to the Cross.
The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians: "I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."(I Cor.2:2) Believers need to determine the amount of time they devote daily to Jesus Christ.
Believers need to determine the amount of time they will devote to the Lord Jesus Christ during Holy Week. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are important services that every Christian should attend. Each service is rich in content. Each service is rich in Scripture. Each service directs the mind and heart and soul to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The soul of each person deserves attention throughout life. The soul deserves care throughout life. The point at which individuals become conscious of and begin to care for the soul can vary. A small number of individuals are serious about Christ from an early age. A small number of individuals are active believers from an early age and remain active throughout life. Some individuals are active and conscious sinners but at a certain point in life turn to Christ in repentance. When the commitment to Christ is made, concern for the soul arises.
The battle for the soul is a daily battle. The battle for the soul is a moment by moment battle. Temptations, passions, diversions, detractions, outside influences and internal thoughts can create tension in the person and put the soul in peril.Believers must remain close to Christ. Believers must turn to Christ in the face of temptations and distractions, in face of contrary thoughts and inclinations.
Only Christ gives the strength to battle for the soul. The First Epistle of St. John says: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."(I Jn.4:4)
The soul has greater value than the whole world(Mt.16:26) Holy Week is the time to contemplate the condition of the soul. Holy Week is the time to contemplate Christ and the care of the soul.
Holy Week is the time to contemplate what is valued most in life. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."(Mt. 6:21)Each believer determines the allocation of time and personal resources. Each believer applies personal time and resources to the pursuit of goals, to the living of daily life.
Family and friends, work and community, church and personal interests are allocated a portion of a believers time and resources. Time studies can show where waste exists. Time studies can show where a certain area or areas of life can receive greater emphasis and attention than others.
During Holy Week believers will answer the question of the importance given to the Lord Jesus Christ. During Holy Week believers will answer the question of weight and importance given to the soul. The Lord God deserves expressions of appreciation. The Lord God deserves acknowledgement of His Glory. The Lord God deserves expressions of love.
Holy Week affords the believer the opportunity to hear and study the accounts of Jesus crucifixion. Holy Week affords the believer the opportunity to join with others in being attentive to the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
By coming to church during Holy Week, believers not only come to learn, believers by their presence witness to the importance assigned to the life in Christ. By attending church during Holy Week, believers declare by action that church services are an important part of life.
The soul requires nourishment. Holy Week provides nourishment for the soul. Opportunities exist for receiving the Precious Body and Blood of Christin the Lord's Supper. Holy Week should be a week of serious prayer. Holy Week should be a week of serious concentration on Christ. Holy Week is a movement toward the joy of the celebration of the Resurrection!
Believers know going into Holy Week where Holy Week leads. Believers know of the Cross and the Tomb. Believers also know about the Resurrection. Believers immersed in Holy Week open their hearts and minds to the experience of Christ.
Holy Week is an invitation to the full life in the Church. Holy Week is an invitation to share with Christ the experience of betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and resurrection. Holy Week can transform the believer if he or she enters Holy Week seeking transformation. Our Lord said: "All things are possible to him who believes."(Mk.9:23)
The mind, heart and soul have much to deal with in Holy Week. The mind, heart and soul have much to absorb. The mind, heart and soul are of central importance during Holy Week. Christ was upon the Cross between two criminals. Believers going through Holy Week come face to face with Christ upon the Cross. How many will shed tears of repentance? How many will shed tears of love? How many will shed tears of thanksgiving? How will you observe Holy Week this year?
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Fill My Cup Lord!
Like the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8), the story of Jesus's encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) reminds us that the kingdom He inaugurated is a realm of inclusion not exclusion, dignity not denigration, empowerment rather than exploitation, and affirmation rather than marginalization. His simple request for a drink of water provoked a dialogue with a marginalized woman that teaches us that
Jesus does not desire any human being to shrivel and die from a parched soul. Rather, he longs to quench the deepest needs and desires of each one of us with the "living water" of his Spirit.
As Jesus traveled from Judea to Galilee he stopped in the town of Sychar around noon time, tired and thirsty from the journey. There he sat down by a well and asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. That Jesus, a Jew, would talk to a Samaritan shocked the woman (4:9). That he would talk to a woman surprised His own disciples (4:27). In fact, through death or divorce, this woman had burned through five marriages and was then living with a boyfriend not her husband (4:18).
When you connect the dots of her story, you realize that in her one person this woman epitomized the many ways that society marginalizes people. Jesus shatters all the taboos that held sway then (and now) — gender discrimination, ritual purity (sharing a drinking cup with a Samaritan), socio-economic poverty (any woman married five times was likely poor), religious hostility, and the moral stigma of serial marriages.
In marked contrast to the male, rabbi, scholar Nicodemus in the previous chapter (John 3), the Samaritan woman displayed spiritual thirst, candor about her past, and genuine insight. She longed not only for literal water, but for the "living water" (4:11) that Jesus offered her, so much so that in her excitement she forgot her water jar when she returned to town (4:28). This thoroughly powerless woman made such a powerful impression upon Jesus and her own neighbors that John included an interesting eyewitness detail about Jesus's itinerary: upon the neighbors's request, "he stayed two days" in Sychar (John 4:40).
The woman embraced Jesus as the Messiah, her witness converted many other fellow Samaritans in town (4:39), and she became the cause of the story's punch line: "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we really know that this man is the Savior of the world" (4:42.
Will you fill yourself with the living water of Jesus Christ? Be filled with the Holy Spirit and follow Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!
Jesus does not desire any human being to shrivel and die from a parched soul. Rather, he longs to quench the deepest needs and desires of each one of us with the "living water" of his Spirit.
As Jesus traveled from Judea to Galilee he stopped in the town of Sychar around noon time, tired and thirsty from the journey. There he sat down by a well and asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. That Jesus, a Jew, would talk to a Samaritan shocked the woman (4:9). That he would talk to a woman surprised His own disciples (4:27). In fact, through death or divorce, this woman had burned through five marriages and was then living with a boyfriend not her husband (4:18).
When you connect the dots of her story, you realize that in her one person this woman epitomized the many ways that society marginalizes people. Jesus shatters all the taboos that held sway then (and now) — gender discrimination, ritual purity (sharing a drinking cup with a Samaritan), socio-economic poverty (any woman married five times was likely poor), religious hostility, and the moral stigma of serial marriages.
In marked contrast to the male, rabbi, scholar Nicodemus in the previous chapter (John 3), the Samaritan woman displayed spiritual thirst, candor about her past, and genuine insight. She longed not only for literal water, but for the "living water" (4:11) that Jesus offered her, so much so that in her excitement she forgot her water jar when she returned to town (4:28). This thoroughly powerless woman made such a powerful impression upon Jesus and her own neighbors that John included an interesting eyewitness detail about Jesus's itinerary: upon the neighbors's request, "he stayed two days" in Sychar (John 4:40).
The woman embraced Jesus as the Messiah, her witness converted many other fellow Samaritans in town (4:39), and she became the cause of the story's punch line: "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we really know that this man is the Savior of the world" (4:42.
Will you fill yourself with the living water of Jesus Christ? Be filled with the Holy Spirit and follow Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!
Monday, March 02, 2009
Forgiveness is a Witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in Your Life!
Forgiveness is a key of the Chrisian life. Let us look at what the Bible says about forgiveness. As it is summed up in the Lord’s Prayer: “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”
Forgiveness is a necessity. We see it in the Lord's Pray and in Mark 11:22-26:
"22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”[a]
But Forgiveness is often a journey. It may take time and practice. We may long for reconciliation with the one who wronged us, but often forgiveness precedes reconciliation. It may be a long time before we can face seeing someone who hurt us deeply, even though we hold no bitterness against them.
Miroslav Volf is a Croatian theologian who has written much on forgiveness and reconciliation, especially in the light of his experiences through the wars in the Balkans after the collapse of communism. One of his books, ‘Free Of Charge‘, was the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book in 2006. In it, he says that forgiveness means we blame but do not punish. We do not pretend about the offence. It is real. But we choose not to punish, or press for punishment.
That is rather like God’s treatment of us with regard to our own sin. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin so that we might repent and follow Jesus. The Spirit of God never pretends that the sin was a fiction. Otherwise, we could never repent and walk in the ways of God’s kingdom. But having convicted us, there is no sentence and we are treated as if we had never sinned, even though we have. If this is how God treats us, then it is also the goal we seek in our journey of forgiveness.
Why Forgive?
First of all, because it is consistent with the character of God. The Lord may say, ‘Vengeance is mine,’ but that is surely because God is the only one to whom vengeance may safely be trusted. In our hands, vengeance becomes revenge, not justice. But ‘the Lord is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love’, and the work of the Holy Spirit within us is to make us slower to anger and more ready to be rich in love.
It’s central to our calling to become more Christ-like. Whatever the word ‘Christian’ means today, it started out as meaning ‘little Christ’. Debbie and I say that Rebekah is her mini-me and Mark is my mini-me. Notwithstanding the fact that the ‘mini-me’ language comes from the Austin Powers films, where Mini-Me is the son of Doctor Evil, I nevertheless assume that Jesus is longing to see a vast crowd of his ‘mini-me’s on earth. A central way in which we can be more like him is in adopting the practice and discipline of forgiveness.
For of course Jesus often called his would-be disciples with the words, ‘Follow me’. He didn’t simply mean a geographical following of him, but following his lifestyle. It’s what Jewish rabbis did: they expected their disciples to follow them in the sense of imitating their life. So if discipleship is about following Jesus and Jesus modelled forgiveness, then it’s of the essence of Christian faith to forgive.
But this approach poses questions, and one is this: another strand of the call to faith is what Paul emphasises, namely that God saves us in Christ entirely by his own work, and not on the merits of our good deeds. How then can it be essential to forgive? Wouldn’t that be salvation by good works, rather than by faith?
I believe the answer is something along these lines. God does indeed save us entirely by his own work in Christ. We receive that by faith, and faith itself is not a good work, either: it is the holding out of empty hands in trust to receive all that God has done for us. However, the test of faith is whether we are grateful for God’s gifts - or as Paul put it to the Galatians, ‘faith working by love’. It’s therefore reasonable and logical to expect that those who by faith receive what God gives us in Christ demonstrate that by showing grateful love. And since Christ shows us the love of God supremely in forgiveness, it behoves us to show true faith by being forgiving people.
Forgiveness is good and indeed authentic witness to the Lordship of Christ in our lives. If there is one thing we can do in society to show Christ, it is to forgive.
So may God who is rich in mercy fill us with the knowledge and experience of his mercy, that we too may be rich in mercy to others.
Forgiveness is a necessity. We see it in the Lord's Pray and in Mark 11:22-26:
"22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”[a]
But Forgiveness is often a journey. It may take time and practice. We may long for reconciliation with the one who wronged us, but often forgiveness precedes reconciliation. It may be a long time before we can face seeing someone who hurt us deeply, even though we hold no bitterness against them.
Miroslav Volf is a Croatian theologian who has written much on forgiveness and reconciliation, especially in the light of his experiences through the wars in the Balkans after the collapse of communism. One of his books, ‘Free Of Charge‘, was the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book in 2006. In it, he says that forgiveness means we blame but do not punish. We do not pretend about the offence. It is real. But we choose not to punish, or press for punishment.
That is rather like God’s treatment of us with regard to our own sin. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin so that we might repent and follow Jesus. The Spirit of God never pretends that the sin was a fiction. Otherwise, we could never repent and walk in the ways of God’s kingdom. But having convicted us, there is no sentence and we are treated as if we had never sinned, even though we have. If this is how God treats us, then it is also the goal we seek in our journey of forgiveness.
Why Forgive?
First of all, because it is consistent with the character of God. The Lord may say, ‘Vengeance is mine,’ but that is surely because God is the only one to whom vengeance may safely be trusted. In our hands, vengeance becomes revenge, not justice. But ‘the Lord is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love’, and the work of the Holy Spirit within us is to make us slower to anger and more ready to be rich in love.
It’s central to our calling to become more Christ-like. Whatever the word ‘Christian’ means today, it started out as meaning ‘little Christ’. Debbie and I say that Rebekah is her mini-me and Mark is my mini-me. Notwithstanding the fact that the ‘mini-me’ language comes from the Austin Powers films, where Mini-Me is the son of Doctor Evil, I nevertheless assume that Jesus is longing to see a vast crowd of his ‘mini-me’s on earth. A central way in which we can be more like him is in adopting the practice and discipline of forgiveness.
For of course Jesus often called his would-be disciples with the words, ‘Follow me’. He didn’t simply mean a geographical following of him, but following his lifestyle. It’s what Jewish rabbis did: they expected their disciples to follow them in the sense of imitating their life. So if discipleship is about following Jesus and Jesus modelled forgiveness, then it’s of the essence of Christian faith to forgive.
But this approach poses questions, and one is this: another strand of the call to faith is what Paul emphasises, namely that God saves us in Christ entirely by his own work, and not on the merits of our good deeds. How then can it be essential to forgive? Wouldn’t that be salvation by good works, rather than by faith?
I believe the answer is something along these lines. God does indeed save us entirely by his own work in Christ. We receive that by faith, and faith itself is not a good work, either: it is the holding out of empty hands in trust to receive all that God has done for us. However, the test of faith is whether we are grateful for God’s gifts - or as Paul put it to the Galatians, ‘faith working by love’. It’s therefore reasonable and logical to expect that those who by faith receive what God gives us in Christ demonstrate that by showing grateful love. And since Christ shows us the love of God supremely in forgiveness, it behoves us to show true faith by being forgiving people.
Forgiveness is good and indeed authentic witness to the Lordship of Christ in our lives. If there is one thing we can do in society to show Christ, it is to forgive.
So may God who is rich in mercy fill us with the knowledge and experience of his mercy, that we too may be rich in mercy to others.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Lent -- a Time of Seeking God's Face
It is the time of Lent. a time of preparation for the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lent is a forty-day period before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday. We skip Sundays when we count the forty days, because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection. Lent began on 25 February 2009 and ends on 11 April 2009, which is the day before Easter.
Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. All churches that have a continuous history extending before AD 1500 observe Lent. Some focus in by giving certain things up for Lent. Others focus in by doing special devotions and Bible reading and by attending special services of the season.
May we soak up Biblical teaching and find a passionate witness to bring people to Christ, and to challenge the church of Christ to holiness of heart and purpose of life; to a Spirit-filled walk with God; to a brokenness of heart in humble earnest and believing prayer for God to pour out His Spirit in true revival power.
Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. All churches that have a continuous history extending before AD 1500 observe Lent. Some focus in by giving certain things up for Lent. Others focus in by doing special devotions and Bible reading and by attending special services of the season.
May we soak up Biblical teaching and find a passionate witness to bring people to Christ, and to challenge the church of Christ to holiness of heart and purpose of life; to a Spirit-filled walk with God; to a brokenness of heart in humble earnest and believing prayer for God to pour out His Spirit in true revival power.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Be Still and Know He is God
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” What comforting words in Psalm 46! They assure us that God is there for us -- whenever we are in need, whenever we are in trouble. Throughout the centuries, people have turned to the psalms for comfort. When we are troubled or worried, the psalms give us encouragement and reassurance to get on with the task of living our lives.
Psalm 46 reads: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.” These are supposed to be words of assurance. The Psalmist is saying that God is with us. We have nothing to fear. Even when our world seems to be crumbling down around us, God will be present to sustain us.
These words are reassuring when we feel the Divine presence strongly in our lives. We can take comfort in the fact that God will always be there for us, even in times of trouble. . . . Yet what about those times in our lives when God does not seem present, when our world is falling apart and it feels as if we are all alone? What about those moments of deep despair when we call out in agony and God seemingly ignores our cries? Why is it that we feel God’s presence keenly when things are going well and we’re content with our lives, but when a tragedy occurs and we desperately cry out, God seems silent?
When author Frederick Buechner was a child, his father committed suicide. In the book Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner, Buechner tells about the impact this had on him, and with the story of his father’s suicide as a backdrop, he describes how he understands God’s presence in our lives. He writes:
As I understand it, to say that God is mightily present even in such private events as these does not mean that [God] makes events happen to us which move us in certain directions like chess[pieces]. Instead, events happen under their own steam as random as rain, which means that God is present in them, not as their cause, but as the one who even in the hardest and most hair-raising of them offers the possibility of that new life and healing which I believe is what salvation is.
For instance, I cannot believe that a God of love and mercy in any sense willed my father’s suicide; it was my father himself who willed it as the only way out available to him from a life that for various reasons he had come to find unbearable. God did not will what happened that early morning in Essex Falls, New Jersey, but I believe that God was present in what happened. I cannot guess how God was present with my father -- I can guess much better how utterly abandoned by God my father must have felt if he thought about God at all -- but my faith as well as my prayer is that God was and continues to be with him in ways beyond my guessing.
God continues to be present with us as well -- in ways that we will never know or be able to guess. Scripture does give us some clues, however
The Psalmist has written, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Why does the Psalmist mention the God of Jacob? And how is the God of Jacob our refuge? God promised Jacob protection and companionship. The promises made to Jacob have also been made to us. Listen to the promise God made to Jacob, which is recorded in the 28th chapter of Genesis: “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” The Psalmist tells us that just as God promised to be with Jacob and to keep him wherever he went, God has also promised to be with us.
Believing in God can be sustaining in and of itself. Our faith can help to carry us through even the darkest of times.
Listen again to the words of the Psalm: “God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help the city when the morning comes.” The morning will come and when it does, God will help the faithful. Psalm 46 ends with the words: “Be still and know that I am God!”
God is found in the stillness. God does not leave us when the going gets tough. God does not abandon us. He is our refuge in times of trouble.
Psalm 46 reads: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.” These are supposed to be words of assurance. The Psalmist is saying that God is with us. We have nothing to fear. Even when our world seems to be crumbling down around us, God will be present to sustain us.
These words are reassuring when we feel the Divine presence strongly in our lives. We can take comfort in the fact that God will always be there for us, even in times of trouble. . . . Yet what about those times in our lives when God does not seem present, when our world is falling apart and it feels as if we are all alone? What about those moments of deep despair when we call out in agony and God seemingly ignores our cries? Why is it that we feel God’s presence keenly when things are going well and we’re content with our lives, but when a tragedy occurs and we desperately cry out, God seems silent?
When author Frederick Buechner was a child, his father committed suicide. In the book Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner, Buechner tells about the impact this had on him, and with the story of his father’s suicide as a backdrop, he describes how he understands God’s presence in our lives. He writes:
As I understand it, to say that God is mightily present even in such private events as these does not mean that [God] makes events happen to us which move us in certain directions like chess[pieces]. Instead, events happen under their own steam as random as rain, which means that God is present in them, not as their cause, but as the one who even in the hardest and most hair-raising of them offers the possibility of that new life and healing which I believe is what salvation is.
For instance, I cannot believe that a God of love and mercy in any sense willed my father’s suicide; it was my father himself who willed it as the only way out available to him from a life that for various reasons he had come to find unbearable. God did not will what happened that early morning in Essex Falls, New Jersey, but I believe that God was present in what happened. I cannot guess how God was present with my father -- I can guess much better how utterly abandoned by God my father must have felt if he thought about God at all -- but my faith as well as my prayer is that God was and continues to be with him in ways beyond my guessing.
God continues to be present with us as well -- in ways that we will never know or be able to guess. Scripture does give us some clues, however
The Psalmist has written, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Why does the Psalmist mention the God of Jacob? And how is the God of Jacob our refuge? God promised Jacob protection and companionship. The promises made to Jacob have also been made to us. Listen to the promise God made to Jacob, which is recorded in the 28th chapter of Genesis: “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” The Psalmist tells us that just as God promised to be with Jacob and to keep him wherever he went, God has also promised to be with us.
Believing in God can be sustaining in and of itself. Our faith can help to carry us through even the darkest of times.
Listen again to the words of the Psalm: “God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help the city when the morning comes.” The morning will come and when it does, God will help the faithful. Psalm 46 ends with the words: “Be still and know that I am God!”
God is found in the stillness. God does not leave us when the going gets tough. God does not abandon us. He is our refuge in times of trouble.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Dare to be a Daniel -- Let the Lions Roar -- You Will Be Safe!
It is in the Scriptures. A man was unjustly accused and affected by an unjust, stupid law. People plotted against him for political reasons. But God had the final say, and Daniel made it through the lion's den, and in the end his plotters were eaten by the lions themselves! (Read Daniel 6:1-28). Daniel did not let circumstances affect his faith in God and his practices of worshipping God. But there were those who plotted against him. Here is how the story begins:
"It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent."
"Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered - in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians [see Ancient Empires - Persia], which cannot be repealed." So King Darius put the decree in writing."
"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and Prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions' den?"
Ah, yes, Daniel was thrown in with the lions, but God sent an angel to protect Daniel, and the rest of the story is one of overcoming tough circumstances! He was protected and he ended up prospering, while his enemies perished in their own plot. Praise the Lord!
Perhaps you feel like you have been thrown into a lion's den, surrounded by possible harm. Perhaps you are the victim of deceitful plotters, of lies and unjust situations, of stupid laws and evil people. If so, remember Daniel, because he found victory while looking danger in the mouth (several mouths to be exact). Hold on to your faith in God and you will see such a victory, too!
"It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent."
"Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered - in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians [see Ancient Empires - Persia], which cannot be repealed." So King Darius put the decree in writing."
"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and Prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions' den?"
Ah, yes, Daniel was thrown in with the lions, but God sent an angel to protect Daniel, and the rest of the story is one of overcoming tough circumstances! He was protected and he ended up prospering, while his enemies perished in their own plot. Praise the Lord!
Perhaps you feel like you have been thrown into a lion's den, surrounded by possible harm. Perhaps you are the victim of deceitful plotters, of lies and unjust situations, of stupid laws and evil people. If so, remember Daniel, because he found victory while looking danger in the mouth (several mouths to be exact). Hold on to your faith in God and you will see such a victory, too!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Have No Fear -- God Will Make a Way for You!
One of my favorite praise songs is "God Will Make a Way," where it speaks of God's care and provision for his people, and for you and for me:
God will make a way, Where there seems to be no way,
He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide, Hold me closely to His side,
With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way, He will make a way.
By a roadway in the wilderness, He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see, Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain, He will do something new today.
God will make a way,Where there seems to be no way.
He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide, Hold me closely to His side,
With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way,
God will make a way!
This is the message we find throughout the Bible -- God will make a way. The story of the Hebrew people in Genesis and Exodus is that God will make way. It continues in Numbers and Joshua and on throughout the Old Testament. Pslams testifies, again and again, God will make a way. The story of Jesus is to show us that God has made a way!
The Bible is filled with stories and words of hope. No matter how hopeless, desperate, or dark your future may appear to be, may the truth of Jesus be yours today: God will find a way. Even where there appears to be no way, God will find a way.
Whatever your problem, give it to God in prayer. Let Him work in your behalf.
Do you and your spouse need to find a way to save your marriage? God will find a way.
Do you need a way out of difficult financial problems? God will find a way.
Do you need help dealing with an illness of your own or of someone you love? God will find a way.
Do you need to find a way out of a long tunnel of grief or sadness that seems to have no end? God will find a way.
Have you been unjustly accused? The truth will win out for you. God will find a way.
Do you need to receive forgiveness and assurance that God loves you despite some terrible thing you might have done? God will find a way to forgive you and give you eternal life. His name is Jesus.
No matter what you are facing: God will find a way.
God helped Mary and Joseph find a way to bring their precious child into a world that seemed stacked against them, and to save Him when they fled to Egypt. He gave Paul ways to escape when persecution was near. He did the same for David. He can do the same for you. God will find a way for you. That is our Christian hope. That is our Christian promise from our Loving God. Be still and know He is your God! (Psalm 46:10)
God will make a way, Where there seems to be no way,
He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide, Hold me closely to His side,
With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way, He will make a way.
By a roadway in the wilderness, He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see, Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain, He will do something new today.
God will make a way,Where there seems to be no way.
He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide, Hold me closely to His side,
With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way,
God will make a way!
This is the message we find throughout the Bible -- God will make a way. The story of the Hebrew people in Genesis and Exodus is that God will make way. It continues in Numbers and Joshua and on throughout the Old Testament. Pslams testifies, again and again, God will make a way. The story of Jesus is to show us that God has made a way!
The Bible is filled with stories and words of hope. No matter how hopeless, desperate, or dark your future may appear to be, may the truth of Jesus be yours today: God will find a way. Even where there appears to be no way, God will find a way.
Whatever your problem, give it to God in prayer. Let Him work in your behalf.
Do you and your spouse need to find a way to save your marriage? God will find a way.
Do you need a way out of difficult financial problems? God will find a way.
Do you need help dealing with an illness of your own or of someone you love? God will find a way.
Do you need to find a way out of a long tunnel of grief or sadness that seems to have no end? God will find a way.
Have you been unjustly accused? The truth will win out for you. God will find a way.
Do you need to receive forgiveness and assurance that God loves you despite some terrible thing you might have done? God will find a way to forgive you and give you eternal life. His name is Jesus.
No matter what you are facing: God will find a way.
God helped Mary and Joseph find a way to bring their precious child into a world that seemed stacked against them, and to save Him when they fled to Egypt. He gave Paul ways to escape when persecution was near. He did the same for David. He can do the same for you. God will find a way for you. That is our Christian hope. That is our Christian promise from our Loving God. Be still and know He is your God! (Psalm 46:10)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Divine Protection -- Our Inheritance in Christ
God’s protection is what actually keeps us safe, not our own power or intelligence. It is great to know that God Himself watches over you! How cool to have God as your father, what more could a man ask?
God promises us that we will have His protection in everything against many, many things! Let’s take a look at some of them.
"He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The LORD protects you; the LORD is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. The LORD will protect your coming and going both now and forever." Psalms 121: 3-8
Here we can see that the Lord keeps us He protects us, He never goes to sleep and He never stops...nothing can happen to us without Lords will. God knows where we are, what we are doing and His protection is over us, it is a continuous protection. That does not mean that nothing bad is ever going to happen because that is not true, many times God allows trials and tribulations to come into our lives to teach us a lesson to help us understand something and to bring us closer to Him, but that does not change the fact that His protection is a continues thing.
"I raise my eyes toward the mountains Where will my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1, 2
The protection of the Lord is something necessary in our lives, we picture here a man looking to the hills, but he is not really expecting help to come from the hills because in verse two he answers his own question: his help is coming from the Lord. Without God looking over us we can get nothing accomplished, we cannot get anything done for the Lord in our own strength...we are weak and we are sinners, that is why it is a necessary thing for the Lord to watch over us and care for us because we certainly cannot, and even the most proud person will some day have to admit that. Our life as a Christian is not one of independence; it is supposed to be a life of utter dependence on God.
"But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil." 2 Thessalonians 3:3
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it."
1 Corinthians 10:13
Here we can see one of the things where we have God's protection. God will never tempt us above what we can take, and every time that there is a temptation that has come our way and it just seems that it is too big and that we will surely fail, remember these verses, remember the fact that God has provided a way for you to escape, remember the fact that God is there with you watching over you; all you have to do is to trust Him. Remember the verse that says that "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me"? Take heart and fight on because God is right there beside you.
God’s love and protection is round about us and as the Bible says, we shall be covered by Him, we shall have His complete protection in Him, it is then that nothing can touch us; it is then that nothing can happen to us, but we have to be in Him...we cannot expect God to protect us and watch out for us if we have never accepted Him as our Savior. The person living exactly the opposite way that the Lord would have him live cannot expect too much protection, following the Lord's will and doing the best you can to fulfill His will in submission to Him is key to enjoying the blessings and benefits that come with it.
Take a look at Israel’s past, every time they strayed away from the Lord they were chastised and it was those times that they lost the protection of the Lord, and they suffered for it. It happens the same in the Christian life, when God tells us that He wants us to do something and we refuse, we cannot shake our fists at heaven when that divine protection is lifted...because it was our own fault that it went away.
God promises us that we will have His protection in everything against many, many things! Let’s take a look at some of them.
"He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The LORD protects you; the LORD is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. The LORD will protect your coming and going both now and forever." Psalms 121: 3-8
Here we can see that the Lord keeps us He protects us, He never goes to sleep and He never stops...nothing can happen to us without Lords will. God knows where we are, what we are doing and His protection is over us, it is a continuous protection. That does not mean that nothing bad is ever going to happen because that is not true, many times God allows trials and tribulations to come into our lives to teach us a lesson to help us understand something and to bring us closer to Him, but that does not change the fact that His protection is a continues thing.
"I raise my eyes toward the mountains Where will my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1, 2
The protection of the Lord is something necessary in our lives, we picture here a man looking to the hills, but he is not really expecting help to come from the hills because in verse two he answers his own question: his help is coming from the Lord. Without God looking over us we can get nothing accomplished, we cannot get anything done for the Lord in our own strength...we are weak and we are sinners, that is why it is a necessary thing for the Lord to watch over us and care for us because we certainly cannot, and even the most proud person will some day have to admit that. Our life as a Christian is not one of independence; it is supposed to be a life of utter dependence on God.
"But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil." 2 Thessalonians 3:3
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it."
1 Corinthians 10:13
Here we can see one of the things where we have God's protection. God will never tempt us above what we can take, and every time that there is a temptation that has come our way and it just seems that it is too big and that we will surely fail, remember these verses, remember the fact that God has provided a way for you to escape, remember the fact that God is there with you watching over you; all you have to do is to trust Him. Remember the verse that says that "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me"? Take heart and fight on because God is right there beside you.
God’s love and protection is round about us and as the Bible says, we shall be covered by Him, we shall have His complete protection in Him, it is then that nothing can touch us; it is then that nothing can happen to us, but we have to be in Him...we cannot expect God to protect us and watch out for us if we have never accepted Him as our Savior. The person living exactly the opposite way that the Lord would have him live cannot expect too much protection, following the Lord's will and doing the best you can to fulfill His will in submission to Him is key to enjoying the blessings and benefits that come with it.
Take a look at Israel’s past, every time they strayed away from the Lord they were chastised and it was those times that they lost the protection of the Lord, and they suffered for it. It happens the same in the Christian life, when God tells us that He wants us to do something and we refuse, we cannot shake our fists at heaven when that divine protection is lifted...because it was our own fault that it went away.
Unjustly Accused? Joseph was Patient and God Made a Way
Many people in the Bible are unjustly accuses, including Jesus, Paul, Peter, Stephen, and many of the prophets. The story of Joseph is another such one of great pain, suffering and tribulation. Yet, it is also one of joy and tremendous accomplishment. However, it was the test of his character during times of crisis that would define Joseph as a person.
Joseph was the son of Jacob and firstborn of Rachel. He was the eleventh of twelve brothers, who were all shepherds by trade. Joseph, at age seventeen, would report to his father all that his brothers did in the field—both good and bad. This was something that his brothers did not appreciate.
Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children, and made him a special coat. This caused Joseph’s brothers to envy him. Joseph described some dreams that he had to his brothers and father. His father meditated on them, but they caused his brothers to hate him even more.
One day, as Joseph approached his brothers in the field, they plotted to kill him. However, Reuben stopped them from committing the crime. He implored them to cast him into a pit in the desert. This would give him a chance later to save Joseph from the pit and return him to Jacob safely.
They all agreed, stripped Joseph of his coat and threw him into a pit. However, while Reuben was away, the brothers sold him to merchantmen. When Reuben returned and found the pit empty, he was afraid and asked the brothers what they were going to do. They killed a goat, dipped Joseph’s coat in the blood and returned to their father. When Jacob saw the coat, he immediately recognized it and assumed that Joseph had been killed. Jacob was heartbroken, and he continually mourned for Joseph.
Joseph had endured his first injustice. And it was at the hands of his brothers—people whom he loved. Later, the merchantmen sold him to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
Joseph had been made a slave in Egypt. But, the Eternal was with him. He prospered in everything he did, and Potiphar saw it. Therefore, Potiphar promoted Joseph, making him overseer of his entire household. Potiphar was blessed because of Joseph.
But, in the background, Potiphar’s wife was eyeing Joseph. She was attracted to him and ready to make a move. She tired to seduce him. When she made advances toward Joseph, he refused her. However, this did not deter her. She tried even harder, grabbing a piece of his clothing. Joseph was forced to flee from her presence, leaving the garment behind in her lustful hands.
Furious that Joseph rejected her advances, Potiphar’s wife went to her husband and lied. She told him that Joseph had attacked her and that he only fled when she screamed for help. She showed him the article of Joseph’s clothing to back up her story.
Potiphar was outraged. He immediately had Joseph seized and thrown into prison. Joseph had endured his second severe injustice. He had done the right thing, yet he suffered for it. But he was patient and he never lost faith in God. In the end he was made Governor of Egypt and he was given a chance to show mercy to his brothers! Read it all in the Book of Genesis, from Chapter 37 until the end in chapter 50.
Like Joseph, you must never quit. You should not allow anything to make you bitter. Let the Spirit help you rise above the nastiness of others. Notice: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:31-32).
When you are going through tough times, remember Joseph’s example. Do not lash out. Keep things close. Pray. Be patient, wait and trust in God, and He will work out the problem for you.
Joseph was the son of Jacob and firstborn of Rachel. He was the eleventh of twelve brothers, who were all shepherds by trade. Joseph, at age seventeen, would report to his father all that his brothers did in the field—both good and bad. This was something that his brothers did not appreciate.
Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children, and made him a special coat. This caused Joseph’s brothers to envy him. Joseph described some dreams that he had to his brothers and father. His father meditated on them, but they caused his brothers to hate him even more.
One day, as Joseph approached his brothers in the field, they plotted to kill him. However, Reuben stopped them from committing the crime. He implored them to cast him into a pit in the desert. This would give him a chance later to save Joseph from the pit and return him to Jacob safely.
They all agreed, stripped Joseph of his coat and threw him into a pit. However, while Reuben was away, the brothers sold him to merchantmen. When Reuben returned and found the pit empty, he was afraid and asked the brothers what they were going to do. They killed a goat, dipped Joseph’s coat in the blood and returned to their father. When Jacob saw the coat, he immediately recognized it and assumed that Joseph had been killed. Jacob was heartbroken, and he continually mourned for Joseph.
Joseph had endured his first injustice. And it was at the hands of his brothers—people whom he loved. Later, the merchantmen sold him to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
Joseph had been made a slave in Egypt. But, the Eternal was with him. He prospered in everything he did, and Potiphar saw it. Therefore, Potiphar promoted Joseph, making him overseer of his entire household. Potiphar was blessed because of Joseph.
But, in the background, Potiphar’s wife was eyeing Joseph. She was attracted to him and ready to make a move. She tired to seduce him. When she made advances toward Joseph, he refused her. However, this did not deter her. She tried even harder, grabbing a piece of his clothing. Joseph was forced to flee from her presence, leaving the garment behind in her lustful hands.
Furious that Joseph rejected her advances, Potiphar’s wife went to her husband and lied. She told him that Joseph had attacked her and that he only fled when she screamed for help. She showed him the article of Joseph’s clothing to back up her story.
Potiphar was outraged. He immediately had Joseph seized and thrown into prison. Joseph had endured his second severe injustice. He had done the right thing, yet he suffered for it. But he was patient and he never lost faith in God. In the end he was made Governor of Egypt and he was given a chance to show mercy to his brothers! Read it all in the Book of Genesis, from Chapter 37 until the end in chapter 50.
Like Joseph, you must never quit. You should not allow anything to make you bitter. Let the Spirit help you rise above the nastiness of others. Notice: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:31-32).
When you are going through tough times, remember Joseph’s example. Do not lash out. Keep things close. Pray. Be patient, wait and trust in God, and He will work out the problem for you.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Monday, February 09, 2009
Answered Prayer: The Story of George Mueller
George Mueller was a man of faith. He was also a man of love. In 1835 he started caring for children born in wedlock and whose parents had both deceased. For over ten years he had been renting houses for orphanage facilities. Renting had numerous advantages such as being able to invest more money into kingdom needs. Something happened though that changed his course of thinking.
On October 30, 1845, he received a letter from a man living on the street where the four orphanages were located. It was a kind and friendly letter, but he did state how the people of Wilson Street were being variously inconvenienced by the Orphan Houses. He left the affair into Mueller's hands.
For ten years Mr. Mueller did not have any desire to build, but he did begin to think of this situation totally different when he got this letter. He wrote down the reasons to and not to move. In the end, he discerned that it was God's will to move. The primary reason was the inconvenience to the neighbors. Philippians 4:5 affirmed this for him.
" Let your forbearing spirit (yieldingness) be known to all men. The Lord is near."
He felt a great responsibility for the noise of the children and the abuse of the sewerage system (houses weren't built for so many occupants). He tried to think of other solutions but could not think of any. Others conferred he should build. After he prayed for a season, he sensed God was using this occasion to show God's love to the neighbors and better provide for the children. Of course, behind all of this was his concern that people would know of God's great and glorious work.
One might think little of this matter except that he had no money in hand for building. By policy he did not he ask for funds. Furthermore, he would not go into debt. Making a decision to buy ones own place big enough for 300 children was one matter. Anyone could decide to do it. But where would the funds come from? Mr. Mueller was not living by what resources he could plan for but by what God would provide.
Is this not the pattern we saw when Jesus fed the 4000 men and families? Mr. Mueller estimated the cost back then:
2-3,000 pounds for property (6-7 acres) around Bristol, England
6-8,000 pounds for a building (lower estimate)
1,500 pounds for bare furnishings for the 3-400 people using it.
He said, "This is indeed a large sum of money which I need; but my hope is in God. I have not sought after this thing. It has not begun with me. God has altogether unexpectedly, by means of the letter before mentioned, led me to it. Only the day before I received the letter, I had no more thought about building premises for the accommodation of the orphans than I had had during the ten previous years." (1)
Love and the glory of God shaped his thinking and firmed up his decision to start on this project. Without asking, 15,784 pounds were sent in and after everything was built and cared for there remained a balance of 776 pounds. This was 1,195 days since he began asking the Lord for the building. 300 orphans were cared for in the new orphanage on Ashley Down.
I am amazed how similar this story is like the one where Jesus fed the multitude. Love should dictate our decisions rather than our resources. We need to be need focused rather than money focused.
Our walk with Jesus will primarily be one made up of miracles. We simply do not have what it takes to meet the needs of the people and situations that God will have us meet up with. Whether it be supplies, healing, wisdom, direction, power, etc., we are to let love move us into faith and let God work out the details.
On October 30, 1845, he received a letter from a man living on the street where the four orphanages were located. It was a kind and friendly letter, but he did state how the people of Wilson Street were being variously inconvenienced by the Orphan Houses. He left the affair into Mueller's hands.
For ten years Mr. Mueller did not have any desire to build, but he did begin to think of this situation totally different when he got this letter. He wrote down the reasons to and not to move. In the end, he discerned that it was God's will to move. The primary reason was the inconvenience to the neighbors. Philippians 4:5 affirmed this for him.
" Let your forbearing spirit (yieldingness) be known to all men. The Lord is near."
He felt a great responsibility for the noise of the children and the abuse of the sewerage system (houses weren't built for so many occupants). He tried to think of other solutions but could not think of any. Others conferred he should build. After he prayed for a season, he sensed God was using this occasion to show God's love to the neighbors and better provide for the children. Of course, behind all of this was his concern that people would know of God's great and glorious work.
One might think little of this matter except that he had no money in hand for building. By policy he did not he ask for funds. Furthermore, he would not go into debt. Making a decision to buy ones own place big enough for 300 children was one matter. Anyone could decide to do it. But where would the funds come from? Mr. Mueller was not living by what resources he could plan for but by what God would provide.
Is this not the pattern we saw when Jesus fed the 4000 men and families? Mr. Mueller estimated the cost back then:
2-3,000 pounds for property (6-7 acres) around Bristol, England
6-8,000 pounds for a building (lower estimate)
1,500 pounds for bare furnishings for the 3-400 people using it.
He said, "This is indeed a large sum of money which I need; but my hope is in God. I have not sought after this thing. It has not begun with me. God has altogether unexpectedly, by means of the letter before mentioned, led me to it. Only the day before I received the letter, I had no more thought about building premises for the accommodation of the orphans than I had had during the ten previous years." (1)
Love and the glory of God shaped his thinking and firmed up his decision to start on this project. Without asking, 15,784 pounds were sent in and after everything was built and cared for there remained a balance of 776 pounds. This was 1,195 days since he began asking the Lord for the building. 300 orphans were cared for in the new orphanage on Ashley Down.
I am amazed how similar this story is like the one where Jesus fed the multitude. Love should dictate our decisions rather than our resources. We need to be need focused rather than money focused.
Our walk with Jesus will primarily be one made up of miracles. We simply do not have what it takes to meet the needs of the people and situations that God will have us meet up with. Whether it be supplies, healing, wisdom, direction, power, etc., we are to let love move us into faith and let God work out the details.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me!
This verse has helped many a Christian through difficult situations. It is not an idle boast in one's self. Indeed, it is a boast in Christ Jesus, for without Him we are nothing, but with Him we are made strong enough to accomplish the tasks we are called to do. Not by our might, but by His Spirit, can we make it through the floods and fires of life.
The first part seems like a boast in our own strength, but the next two words in the verse take this out of the context of arrogance altogether: "through Christ." It is not a boast of self: "I can do all things." It is, I can do all things through Christ! There is a huge difference. It is one thing for someone to say, "I can do all things." It is quite different to confess, "I can do all things through Christ."
To get the impact of this, stop and think about what you couldn't do without Him! You could not effectively and thoroughly know your lost condition. Without Him, you could not have adequate concepts of God. Without Him, you could realize no victory over sin. Without Him, we would all be a victim of the wrath to come. Jesus said to His disciples "without Me you can do nothing," (John 15:5). In Ephesians 2:12 teaches outside of Christ, we have "no hope" and we are "without God in the world."
Sp with Christ, through Him, in our relationship of active faith in Him, we have strength we could not have any other way! Strength to adequately evaluate ourselves. Strength to know the difference between right and wrong (by faithfully applying His Word). Strength that comes through the remission of our sins. Strength in response to prayer we offer to God through Him. Strength of character as we follow His example and obey Him. Inner strength to make it through struggles. Physical strength to heal and recover.
This is strength in such abundance, we are able to do everything God wants us to do. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."
"Of the strength which Christ can impart, Paul had had abundant experience; and now his whole reliance was there. It was not in any native ability which he had; not in any vigor of body or of mind; not in any power which there was in his own resolutions; it was in the strength that he derived from the Redeemer. By that he was enabled to bear cold, fatigue, and hunger; by that, he met temptations and persecutions; and by that, he engaged in the performance of his arduous duties" (Barnes).
The first part seems like a boast in our own strength, but the next two words in the verse take this out of the context of arrogance altogether: "through Christ." It is not a boast of self: "I can do all things." It is, I can do all things through Christ! There is a huge difference. It is one thing for someone to say, "I can do all things." It is quite different to confess, "I can do all things through Christ."
To get the impact of this, stop and think about what you couldn't do without Him! You could not effectively and thoroughly know your lost condition. Without Him, you could not have adequate concepts of God. Without Him, you could realize no victory over sin. Without Him, we would all be a victim of the wrath to come. Jesus said to His disciples "without Me you can do nothing," (John 15:5). In Ephesians 2:12 teaches outside of Christ, we have "no hope" and we are "without God in the world."
Sp with Christ, through Him, in our relationship of active faith in Him, we have strength we could not have any other way! Strength to adequately evaluate ourselves. Strength to know the difference between right and wrong (by faithfully applying His Word). Strength that comes through the remission of our sins. Strength in response to prayer we offer to God through Him. Strength of character as we follow His example and obey Him. Inner strength to make it through struggles. Physical strength to heal and recover.
This is strength in such abundance, we are able to do everything God wants us to do. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."
"Of the strength which Christ can impart, Paul had had abundant experience; and now his whole reliance was there. It was not in any native ability which he had; not in any vigor of body or of mind; not in any power which there was in his own resolutions; it was in the strength that he derived from the Redeemer. By that he was enabled to bear cold, fatigue, and hunger; by that, he met temptations and persecutions; and by that, he engaged in the performance of his arduous duties" (Barnes).
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Make Christ the King of Your Heart!
Last Sunday was Christ the King Sunday. Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior? Is He the King of your heart? Meditating on His Kingship can be a powerful spiritual exercise. Envision Him in all His glory, seated on His heavenly throne, then see Him on the throne of your own heart.
Christ is the King! Philippians 2:5-11 speaks of Jesus Lordship and His kingly status.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
The name King for the Lord is found in various forms in scripture: King Eternal (1 Timothy 1:17), King of Israel (John 1:49), King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11), King of Kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16), King of the Ages (Book of Revelation 15:3) and Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5).
Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday of the season of Pentecost and of the church year. This day completes the Christian journey through the life of Jesus Christ on earth and in heaven which began with the preparation for the birth of Jesus in Advent. Kings are absolute rulers; they attain power by raising and leading armies into war against other countries. Jesus' war was not against people or against a country, but against sin, death, and the power of the Devil.
By His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus won the war against evil. All that Christians are asked to do is to accept that Jesus fought and won the war for their sakes and to recognize Him as King of Kings. On Christ the King Sunday, Christians recognize and worship Christ as king of heaven and earth for all time without challenge and without end. Jesus is truly King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Christ is the King! Philippians 2:5-11 speaks of Jesus Lordship and His kingly status.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
The name King for the Lord is found in various forms in scripture: King Eternal (1 Timothy 1:17), King of Israel (John 1:49), King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11), King of Kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16), King of the Ages (Book of Revelation 15:3) and Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5).
Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday of the season of Pentecost and of the church year. This day completes the Christian journey through the life of Jesus Christ on earth and in heaven which began with the preparation for the birth of Jesus in Advent. Kings are absolute rulers; they attain power by raising and leading armies into war against other countries. Jesus' war was not against people or against a country, but against sin, death, and the power of the Devil.
By His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus won the war against evil. All that Christians are asked to do is to accept that Jesus fought and won the war for their sakes and to recognize Him as King of Kings. On Christ the King Sunday, Christians recognize and worship Christ as king of heaven and earth for all time without challenge and without end. Jesus is truly King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Good Minds and Pure Hearts for God
Paul wrote to the Philippians that they were to keep their minds full of the good things of Christ. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)
And, to the church in Rome, Paul wrote, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) Christians see from these passages that when they work at keeping their minds pure, they are open to God's will and teachings in life. God's thoughts do not dwell in the minds of men and women corrupted by the world.
There is a purity of heart that God wants from His people as well. "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God will all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Matthew 22:37)
Jesus made everyone's heart, he paid for all hearts, and He will heal Christians hearts, even though it seems that these hearts are often damaged far beyond repair. It is the job of a Christian to keep the heart devoted to Him, and not be tempted to love the things of the world, other people, or even the gifts and talents He gives people much more than the love and devotion they give to Him. Let us bathe ourselves and each other in prayer, so that we may experience anew the pure and ever-refreshing love of Christ.
And, to the church in Rome, Paul wrote, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) Christians see from these passages that when they work at keeping their minds pure, they are open to God's will and teachings in life. God's thoughts do not dwell in the minds of men and women corrupted by the world.
There is a purity of heart that God wants from His people as well. "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God will all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Matthew 22:37)
Jesus made everyone's heart, he paid for all hearts, and He will heal Christians hearts, even though it seems that these hearts are often damaged far beyond repair. It is the job of a Christian to keep the heart devoted to Him, and not be tempted to love the things of the world, other people, or even the gifts and talents He gives people much more than the love and devotion they give to Him. Let us bathe ourselves and each other in prayer, so that we may experience anew the pure and ever-refreshing love of Christ.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Always Pray, and Do Not Give Up!
Worship is important. In corporate worship in church is where God calls us back to be strengthened and renewed. He reminds us that there is no danger, or pain, or poverty, or evil, or death that can conquer us.
Worship is our fortress. God’s Word is our life. Holy Communion is God’s embrace, and salvation and heaven is our constant worship prayer.
And our worship forms a new prayer. It is the prayer that others would come to know the hope and joy, the courage and strength, the life that God gives us in Christ. Others, like family members, friends, and neighbors.
Pray for the people in your lives who need God, who need to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. God is at work, in and through those prayers. Have no doubt. Keep praying for your friends or family members. Pray for your faithfulness and strength in whatever you are facing.
It may seem like nothing much is happening. But, God IS working. And He is working quickly, because the time is short. THIS is what Jesus is teaching us, today. Be persistent in prayer, in these things “always pray, and do not give up.”
Worship is our fortress. God’s Word is our life. Holy Communion is God’s embrace, and salvation and heaven is our constant worship prayer.
And our worship forms a new prayer. It is the prayer that others would come to know the hope and joy, the courage and strength, the life that God gives us in Christ. Others, like family members, friends, and neighbors.
Pray for the people in your lives who need God, who need to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. God is at work, in and through those prayers. Have no doubt. Keep praying for your friends or family members. Pray for your faithfulness and strength in whatever you are facing.
It may seem like nothing much is happening. But, God IS working. And He is working quickly, because the time is short. THIS is what Jesus is teaching us, today. Be persistent in prayer, in these things “always pray, and do not give up.”
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Love is Key To the Christian Life -- How Can You Be a Better Mirror of God's Love to Others?
"This is My commandment, that you LOVE ONE ANOTHER as I have LOVED YOU." John 15:12-14
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE." 1 Corinthians 13:13
Jesus said:
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is HE WHO LOVES ME." John 14:21
"If you keep My commandments, you will ABIDE IN MY LOVE just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and ABIDE IN HIS LOVE." John 15:10
The concept of love and obedience going hand in hand is clear. True agape love starts with obedience to Jesus' Word.
The impartiality of agape love
In Acts 10:34 Peter says that 'God shows no partiality'. If you read 1Corinthians 13, you will notice how that agape love is portrayed as being completely impartial or to put it another way, we have to work at not showing favouritism and not allowing decisions to be based on personal bias. This is probably one of the hardest things for us to do as disciples of Jesus.
This 'impartiality' though is based on what God requires of us and this may appear to be biased by those who do not have a knowledge of God's will. We are most assuredly accused of bias and lack of love for our country, when we state our case for objection to military service. This decision though is based on our agape love for Jesus and an impartial desire to serve and obey Him. (See Matthew5:39, 26:52; John 18:36) There are other facets of discipleship that people will not connect with love if they do not know God's will. (See 1 Peter 4:4)
'phileo' is the kind affection
The Greek word 'phileo' refers to a 'kind affection' for others, but does not carry the impartial self sacrifice concept of 'agape'. This is a much easier love to show because it is more than likely generated by personal taste rather than a love for God, and hence can be partial. We have a 'phileo' for our family members and special friends. The true test of course is that if we are, or think we are mistreated by our friends, the need then is for us to show the unbiased agape love.
Love in the Bible means 'a kind affection for' or in the most important sense 'impartial love' which is prepared to sacrifice selfish ambitions for others.
'phileo' in the Greek is the 'kind affection' and is translated: 'love' and 'kiss' in the New Testament. John 11:3,36, 12:25; Luke 24:47, 1Corinthians16.22; Titus 3:15; Revelation3:19, 22:15
'agape' (noun) and 'agapao' (verb) show no partiality and are translated: 'love', 'dear', 'charity', 'feast of charity' and 'beloved' in the New Testament. Matthew 5:43,44,46, 19:19; Colossians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 8:1; Jude v12; Romans 9:25, Ephesians 1:6; Colossians3:12
Love God, Love Others as You Love Yourself! (Mark 12:20-23). Be a Love Ambassador for God! Reflect His Love like a Mirror for Jesus!
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE." 1 Corinthians 13:13
Jesus said:
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is HE WHO LOVES ME." John 14:21
"If you keep My commandments, you will ABIDE IN MY LOVE just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and ABIDE IN HIS LOVE." John 15:10
The concept of love and obedience going hand in hand is clear. True agape love starts with obedience to Jesus' Word.
The impartiality of agape love
In Acts 10:34 Peter says that 'God shows no partiality'. If you read 1Corinthians 13, you will notice how that agape love is portrayed as being completely impartial or to put it another way, we have to work at not showing favouritism and not allowing decisions to be based on personal bias. This is probably one of the hardest things for us to do as disciples of Jesus.
This 'impartiality' though is based on what God requires of us and this may appear to be biased by those who do not have a knowledge of God's will. We are most assuredly accused of bias and lack of love for our country, when we state our case for objection to military service. This decision though is based on our agape love for Jesus and an impartial desire to serve and obey Him. (See Matthew5:39, 26:52; John 18:36) There are other facets of discipleship that people will not connect with love if they do not know God's will. (See 1 Peter 4:4)
'phileo' is the kind affection
The Greek word 'phileo' refers to a 'kind affection' for others, but does not carry the impartial self sacrifice concept of 'agape'. This is a much easier love to show because it is more than likely generated by personal taste rather than a love for God, and hence can be partial. We have a 'phileo' for our family members and special friends. The true test of course is that if we are, or think we are mistreated by our friends, the need then is for us to show the unbiased agape love.
Love in the Bible means 'a kind affection for' or in the most important sense 'impartial love' which is prepared to sacrifice selfish ambitions for others.
'phileo' in the Greek is the 'kind affection' and is translated: 'love' and 'kiss' in the New Testament. John 11:3,36, 12:25; Luke 24:47, 1Corinthians16.22; Titus 3:15; Revelation3:19, 22:15
'agape' (noun) and 'agapao' (verb) show no partiality and are translated: 'love', 'dear', 'charity', 'feast of charity' and 'beloved' in the New Testament. Matthew 5:43,44,46, 19:19; Colossians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 8:1; Jude v12; Romans 9:25, Ephesians 1:6; Colossians3:12
Love God, Love Others as You Love Yourself! (Mark 12:20-23). Be a Love Ambassador for God! Reflect His Love like a Mirror for Jesus!
Friday, October 24, 2008
We Are Called to Be God's Faithful Evangelists!
We need to reach out to the world around us. this is what the Spirit is saying to many in the church today. get out of the box and spread God's love. Invade the public arena with His love. Bible studies in beer halls? You betcha! Christian basketball leagues? For sure. Churches rightly station smiling greeters at the front door, and we may take bread to visitors. But we need to reach out to those who do not visit.
We may invite someone to our church. But we generally do not feel comfortable speaking publicly about our personal faith. We need to get over it and just tell what Jesus has done in our lives. No big speech, just honest conversation.
I am a Presbyterian. I know Presbyterian pastors do not often preach evangelistic sermons or give altar calls, and door-to-door evangelism is rare among Presbyterians. but I feel that Presbyterians can reclaim with integrity our historical commitment to evangelism? The word evangelism has been hijacked -- it really is a very good word, meaning to share the good news of Jesus Christ!
Evangelism is one part of God's mission. There is a basic relation between mission and evangelism. The word mission comes from the Greek for "sending," and evangelism from "good news" or "public messenger of good news." God is at work in our troubled and broken world. This is good news!
What is God doing in this world where many forms of devastating evil are rampant? God sent the Son and the Holy Spirit and now sends the church into the world as instruments of redemptive mission. God is bringing to fruition the new reality that was manifested in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ — God's reign of life, love, justice and peace. While this reign seems hidden, it is present like yeast, light, salt and a small seed.
Jesus defined the mission of God's reign: "The Spirit of the Lord ... anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19). As his followers, this is our mission,too.
Lifestyle evangelism is really very effective. It is a matter of speaking, inviting and receiving, as if the Bible is true and jesus really is our Lord. We learn to speak about our Christian faith to others, to share what difference the presence of God and the support of the Christian community make in our lives, especially in times of suffering and transition. We tell others of the spiritual resources and guidance we find through prayer, Bible reading, worship and service. It is likeone beggar telling abother beggar where the bread is. It is the best thing we can possibly do for our freinds and neighbors.
I heard a great story about a college student who mobilized some friends to make and distribute peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (they called it The PBJ mission) to hungry people in their town. The students looked each recipient in the eye and said, "Jesus loves you." We need to find such a wonderful way to show God's love to the people where we live.
We may invite someone to our church. But we generally do not feel comfortable speaking publicly about our personal faith. We need to get over it and just tell what Jesus has done in our lives. No big speech, just honest conversation.
I am a Presbyterian. I know Presbyterian pastors do not often preach evangelistic sermons or give altar calls, and door-to-door evangelism is rare among Presbyterians. but I feel that Presbyterians can reclaim with integrity our historical commitment to evangelism? The word evangelism has been hijacked -- it really is a very good word, meaning to share the good news of Jesus Christ!
Evangelism is one part of God's mission. There is a basic relation between mission and evangelism. The word mission comes from the Greek for "sending," and evangelism from "good news" or "public messenger of good news." God is at work in our troubled and broken world. This is good news!
What is God doing in this world where many forms of devastating evil are rampant? God sent the Son and the Holy Spirit and now sends the church into the world as instruments of redemptive mission. God is bringing to fruition the new reality that was manifested in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ — God's reign of life, love, justice and peace. While this reign seems hidden, it is present like yeast, light, salt and a small seed.
Jesus defined the mission of God's reign: "The Spirit of the Lord ... anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19). As his followers, this is our mission,too.
Lifestyle evangelism is really very effective. It is a matter of speaking, inviting and receiving, as if the Bible is true and jesus really is our Lord. We learn to speak about our Christian faith to others, to share what difference the presence of God and the support of the Christian community make in our lives, especially in times of suffering and transition. We tell others of the spiritual resources and guidance we find through prayer, Bible reading, worship and service. It is likeone beggar telling abother beggar where the bread is. It is the best thing we can possibly do for our freinds and neighbors.
I heard a great story about a college student who mobilized some friends to make and distribute peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (they called it The PBJ mission) to hungry people in their town. The students looked each recipient in the eye and said, "Jesus loves you." We need to find such a wonderful way to show God's love to the people where we live.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
John Knox: A Man of Fervent, Effectual Prayer
John Knox and Prayer
It is said that Mary, Queen of Scots trembled when John Knox went to his knees in prayer. One time she even exclaimed that she feared Knox's prayers "more than an any army in Europe."
Why was she so shaken? It was because Knox believed that God worked through prayer. This was no simple assent to a truth. Knox acted on his belief. He would boldly come before the throne of grace like no other, throwing his petitions at the Father's feet.
Author Larry Christenson attests to this in his book The Christian Family. As a matter of fact, Christenson almost goes so far as to attribute the whole reformation of Scotland to Knox's prayers. He writes,
"[Knox] prayed with such power that all Scotland was awakened. 'Lord, Give me Scotland or I'll die!' he cried. And he prayed with such intensity that the Lord answered."
Here is what John Knox wrote about the Holy Spirit and prayer:
"HOW THE SPIRIT MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US. So that without the Spirit of God supporting our infirmities (mightily making intercession for us with unceasing groans, which cannot be expressed with tongue, Rom. 8:26), there is no hope that we can desire anything according to God's will. I mean not that the Holy Ghost does mourn or pray, but that he stirs up our minds, giving unto us a desire or boldness to pray, and causes us to mourn when we are extracted or pulled therefrom."
May the Holy Spirit stir your mind for prayer today!
It is said that Mary, Queen of Scots trembled when John Knox went to his knees in prayer. One time she even exclaimed that she feared Knox's prayers "more than an any army in Europe."
Why was she so shaken? It was because Knox believed that God worked through prayer. This was no simple assent to a truth. Knox acted on his belief. He would boldly come before the throne of grace like no other, throwing his petitions at the Father's feet.
Author Larry Christenson attests to this in his book The Christian Family. As a matter of fact, Christenson almost goes so far as to attribute the whole reformation of Scotland to Knox's prayers. He writes,
"[Knox] prayed with such power that all Scotland was awakened. 'Lord, Give me Scotland or I'll die!' he cried. And he prayed with such intensity that the Lord answered."
Here is what John Knox wrote about the Holy Spirit and prayer:
"HOW THE SPIRIT MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US. So that without the Spirit of God supporting our infirmities (mightily making intercession for us with unceasing groans, which cannot be expressed with tongue, Rom. 8:26), there is no hope that we can desire anything according to God's will. I mean not that the Holy Ghost does mourn or pray, but that he stirs up our minds, giving unto us a desire or boldness to pray, and causes us to mourn when we are extracted or pulled therefrom."
May the Holy Spirit stir your mind for prayer today!
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Stop Lying America -- Let Us Stand Up for the Truth!
It is political ad season and much lying is going on. The presidential campaign has had so many lies in the ads, it is a travesty. The politicians who approve adsa that lie are liars themselves.
There is a plague that is grieving the heart of God and it is the dishonesty of America. Wall Street's problems can be traced to greed and lies -- a multitude of lies! The infection has spread throughout American business.
Why is lying wrong? Because the Bible tells us so! So does common sense, because lying corrupts society and cripples democracy.
What does the Bible say about lying? A lying tongue is not only something God hates, it is also something that is an abomination to Him.
Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."
The Bible is filled with admonitions against being dishonest and lying. One of the Ten Commandments states:
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Exodus 20:16
In John 8:43-47, Jesus calls the devil "the father of lies." The devil is behind every lie and as Christians we are admonished not to lie to one another.
Colossians 3:9-10 says, "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."
Lying is bad because it treats those who are lied to as a means to achieve the liar's purpose, rather than as a valuable end in themselves. It is wrong to treat people as means not ends. Lying is bad because it makes it difficult for the person being lied to make a free and informed decision about the matter concerned. Lies lead people to base their decisions on false information.
Lying is bad because it's a basic moral wrong. Some things are fundamentally bad - lying is one of them. Lying is bad because it misuses the God-given gift of human communication. God gave humanity speech so that they could accurately share their thoughts - lying does the opposite.Lying is bad because language is essential to human societies and carries the obligation to use it truthfully. When people use language they effectively 'make a contract' to use it in a particular way - one of the clauses of this contract is not to use language deceitfully.
Lies obviously hurt the person who is lied to (most of the time), but they can also hurt the liar, and society in general.
Society is hurt because:The general level of truthfulness falls - other people may be encouraged to lie.It becomes harder for people to trust each other or the institutions of society.Social cohesion is weakened. Eventually no-one is able to believe anyone else and society collapses.
We need to cry out-- Stop lying America. Do not support any candidate caught lying against his opponent. Demand honesty in business affairs. Seek the truth. Imitate Jesus, who is the great Truth, and be an honest witness in all your own affairs.
There is a plague that is grieving the heart of God and it is the dishonesty of America. Wall Street's problems can be traced to greed and lies -- a multitude of lies! The infection has spread throughout American business.
Why is lying wrong? Because the Bible tells us so! So does common sense, because lying corrupts society and cripples democracy.
What does the Bible say about lying? A lying tongue is not only something God hates, it is also something that is an abomination to Him.
Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."
The Bible is filled with admonitions against being dishonest and lying. One of the Ten Commandments states:
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Exodus 20:16
In John 8:43-47, Jesus calls the devil "the father of lies." The devil is behind every lie and as Christians we are admonished not to lie to one another.
Colossians 3:9-10 says, "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."
Lying is bad because it treats those who are lied to as a means to achieve the liar's purpose, rather than as a valuable end in themselves. It is wrong to treat people as means not ends. Lying is bad because it makes it difficult for the person being lied to make a free and informed decision about the matter concerned. Lies lead people to base their decisions on false information.
Lying is bad because it's a basic moral wrong. Some things are fundamentally bad - lying is one of them. Lying is bad because it misuses the God-given gift of human communication. God gave humanity speech so that they could accurately share their thoughts - lying does the opposite.Lying is bad because language is essential to human societies and carries the obligation to use it truthfully. When people use language they effectively 'make a contract' to use it in a particular way - one of the clauses of this contract is not to use language deceitfully.
Lies obviously hurt the person who is lied to (most of the time), but they can also hurt the liar, and society in general.
Society is hurt because:The general level of truthfulness falls - other people may be encouraged to lie.It becomes harder for people to trust each other or the institutions of society.Social cohesion is weakened. Eventually no-one is able to believe anyone else and society collapses.
We need to cry out-- Stop lying America. Do not support any candidate caught lying against his opponent. Demand honesty in business affairs. Seek the truth. Imitate Jesus, who is the great Truth, and be an honest witness in all your own affairs.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Anti-God Movie Attempts to Raise People's Doubts
Bill Maher is a comedian who sometimes has a funny and truthful take on politics. But he is out of his league now, launching a crusade against religion on the big screen.
Maher, who has been picking on organized religion for years on his TV shows "Politically Incorrect" and "Real Time," zealously traveled the world for "Religulous," his documentary challenging the validity and value of Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths.
I heard from a Christian person who saw an advanced screening. She said it is an offensive, caustic, bomabastic attack on religion, Christianity in particular. The movie opens Friday in theaters around the country.
Raised in a Roman Catholic household by a Catholic father and Jewish mother, Maher decided at an early age that the trappings and mythology of the world's religions were preposterous, outdated and even dangerous.
"Religulous," directed by fellow doubter Larry Charles ("Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"), is intended to inspire similar skepticism in others — and perhaps get nonbelievers to talk more openly about their lack of faith.
"I'm not looking to form an anti-religion religion. That would defeat the purpose," Maher said in an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival, where "Religulous" played in advance of its theatrical release Friday. "It's the nature of the people who are not believers that they're individuals, they're individualistic. They don't join and all lock arms and say, `We all believe this and so it must be true because we have strength in numbers.'"
"When you're talking about a man living to 900 years old, and drinking the blood of a 2,000-year-old god, and that Creation Museum where they put a saddle on the dinosaur because people rode dinosaurs. It's just a pile of comedy that was waiting for someone to exploit."
Charles shot 400 to 500 hours of material around the world as Maher visited a Christian chapel for truckers in North Carolina, a gay Muslim bar in the Netherlands, the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, and Christian, Muslim and Jewish holy places in Israel.
Maher meets with priests at the Vatican, chats with rabbis and Muslim scholars in Jerusalem, encounters street preachers in London, and hangs out with the performer who plays Christ in a crucifixion enactment at the Holy Land Experience theme park in Florida.
The doubting duo claims that Christianity, Islam and Judaism were the trinity of faiths at the heart of Western conflict.
Charles grew up Jewish and once considered becoming a rabbi but was discouraged by his parents, who told him to "get bar-mitzvahed, get the checks and then get the hell out," he said. He said he now shares Maher's position: Heavy on doubt about the existence of a supreme being, even heavier on certainty that organized religion is hazardous to humanity's health.
"If I believe that Jesus is God and you believe Mohammed is God, then no matter how tolerant we are, we are never going to meet," Charles said. "All you have to do is push that one more step, then somebody's like, `You're in the way of people believing in Jesus,' and `You're in the way of people believing in Mohammed,' and the only answer is to kill you.
"Unfortunately, that sort of thing dominates the religious landscape, not the Mother Teresas of the world. She becomes the aberration. ... The altruistic wing of religion has been minimized and this militaristic, warmongering fundamentalism has become the dominant presence."
Maher openly scorns remarks made by Christians, Jews and Muslims he interviews. He hopes audiences will laugh with him, and that "Religulous" will stand as a testament for people who share his scorn.
"It is a sobering thought to think that the U.S. Congress has 535 members and there's not one who represents this point of view, and yet there are tens of millions of Americans who feel this way," Maher said.
When I read Maher's remarks it makes me so sad that he obviously has never met the Lord Jesus that I and a multitude of my friends know. Bill Maher is a harsh, sad, little man whose hate has made him rich, but he is hollow at his core. And he is being used by forces greater than him to spit at God and the people who respect God.
Pray for Bill Maher. He needs it.
Maher, who has been picking on organized religion for years on his TV shows "Politically Incorrect" and "Real Time," zealously traveled the world for "Religulous," his documentary challenging the validity and value of Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths.
I heard from a Christian person who saw an advanced screening. She said it is an offensive, caustic, bomabastic attack on religion, Christianity in particular. The movie opens Friday in theaters around the country.
Raised in a Roman Catholic household by a Catholic father and Jewish mother, Maher decided at an early age that the trappings and mythology of the world's religions were preposterous, outdated and even dangerous.
"Religulous," directed by fellow doubter Larry Charles ("Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"), is intended to inspire similar skepticism in others — and perhaps get nonbelievers to talk more openly about their lack of faith.
"I'm not looking to form an anti-religion religion. That would defeat the purpose," Maher said in an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival, where "Religulous" played in advance of its theatrical release Friday. "It's the nature of the people who are not believers that they're individuals, they're individualistic. They don't join and all lock arms and say, `We all believe this and so it must be true because we have strength in numbers.'"
"When you're talking about a man living to 900 years old, and drinking the blood of a 2,000-year-old god, and that Creation Museum where they put a saddle on the dinosaur because people rode dinosaurs. It's just a pile of comedy that was waiting for someone to exploit."
Charles shot 400 to 500 hours of material around the world as Maher visited a Christian chapel for truckers in North Carolina, a gay Muslim bar in the Netherlands, the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, and Christian, Muslim and Jewish holy places in Israel.
Maher meets with priests at the Vatican, chats with rabbis and Muslim scholars in Jerusalem, encounters street preachers in London, and hangs out with the performer who plays Christ in a crucifixion enactment at the Holy Land Experience theme park in Florida.
The doubting duo claims that Christianity, Islam and Judaism were the trinity of faiths at the heart of Western conflict.
Charles grew up Jewish and once considered becoming a rabbi but was discouraged by his parents, who told him to "get bar-mitzvahed, get the checks and then get the hell out," he said. He said he now shares Maher's position: Heavy on doubt about the existence of a supreme being, even heavier on certainty that organized religion is hazardous to humanity's health.
"If I believe that Jesus is God and you believe Mohammed is God, then no matter how tolerant we are, we are never going to meet," Charles said. "All you have to do is push that one more step, then somebody's like, `You're in the way of people believing in Jesus,' and `You're in the way of people believing in Mohammed,' and the only answer is to kill you.
"Unfortunately, that sort of thing dominates the religious landscape, not the Mother Teresas of the world. She becomes the aberration. ... The altruistic wing of religion has been minimized and this militaristic, warmongering fundamentalism has become the dominant presence."
Maher openly scorns remarks made by Christians, Jews and Muslims he interviews. He hopes audiences will laugh with him, and that "Religulous" will stand as a testament for people who share his scorn.
"It is a sobering thought to think that the U.S. Congress has 535 members and there's not one who represents this point of view, and yet there are tens of millions of Americans who feel this way," Maher said.
When I read Maher's remarks it makes me so sad that he obviously has never met the Lord Jesus that I and a multitude of my friends know. Bill Maher is a harsh, sad, little man whose hate has made him rich, but he is hollow at his core. And he is being used by forces greater than him to spit at God and the people who respect God.
Pray for Bill Maher. He needs it.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Rely on the Blessing of the Holy Spirit!
PRAISE GOD FOR THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
"Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth:
for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me ..." John 16:13, 14
1. The Holy Spirit
A. With the ascension of Christ we have the arrival of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; Acts 2) who ministers to the Church through the mediation of Christ (1 Tim. 2:5) and the Scriptures.
B. He is fully God; He is not a force. He is the third person of the Trinity.
i. He has a will - 1 Cor. 2:11 ii. He speaks - Acts 13:2
iii. He loves - Rom. 15:30
iv. He can be grieved - Eph. 4:30
v. He convicts of sin - John 16:8
vi. He creates - Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4
vii. He gives gifts - 1 Cor. 12:8
viii. He Intercedes - Rom. 8:26
ix. He teaches - John 14:26
x. He testifies of Jesus - John 15:26
xi. He baptizes - 1 Cor. 12:13
xii. He guides - John 16:13
xiii. He encourages - Acts 9:31
xiv. He empowers - Micah 3:8
xv. He gives joy - Rom. 14:17
xvi. He comforts - John 14:16-26
C. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer (Rom. 8:11) and continues to work in him to bring about sanctification (Rom. 15:16).
D. The Holy Spirit illuminates the mind of the believer (1 Cor. 2:12,13) and reveals to Him the things of God (1 Cor. 2:10,13; 1 John 2:27).
Acts 2:2-4 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:38 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Gal 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (KJV)
"Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth:
for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me ..." John 16:13, 14
1. The Holy Spirit
A. With the ascension of Christ we have the arrival of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; Acts 2) who ministers to the Church through the mediation of Christ (1 Tim. 2:5) and the Scriptures.
B. He is fully God; He is not a force. He is the third person of the Trinity.
i. He has a will - 1 Cor. 2:11 ii. He speaks - Acts 13:2
iii. He loves - Rom. 15:30
iv. He can be grieved - Eph. 4:30
v. He convicts of sin - John 16:8
vi. He creates - Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4
vii. He gives gifts - 1 Cor. 12:8
viii. He Intercedes - Rom. 8:26
ix. He teaches - John 14:26
x. He testifies of Jesus - John 15:26
xi. He baptizes - 1 Cor. 12:13
xii. He guides - John 16:13
xiii. He encourages - Acts 9:31
xiv. He empowers - Micah 3:8
xv. He gives joy - Rom. 14:17
xvi. He comforts - John 14:16-26
C. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer (Rom. 8:11) and continues to work in him to bring about sanctification (Rom. 15:16).
D. The Holy Spirit illuminates the mind of the believer (1 Cor. 2:12,13) and reveals to Him the things of God (1 Cor. 2:10,13; 1 John 2:27).
Acts 2:2-4 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:38 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Gal 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (KJV)
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Be Truthful -- Let your Yes Be Yes!
"I approve this message" the ads say, and we see the candidate's benevolent face. Sometimes the ads contain outright lies, but the approval is still there. It seems that lying in political campaigns is thought of by many people as "par for the course" and "to be expected."
Yet I see it as a symptom of a national spiritual sickness. Where is the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) in all of this? Do you want people lying about you? Has our respect for the truth evaporated in 21st century America?
Truthfulness is at the heart of the Gospel. God gives us the truth and He expects us to give the truth to each other, not manipulate the facts deceitfully to our advantage.
We need to go no further than the words of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount to see the importance of truthfulness and integrity. The principle that is present in Matthew 5:33-37 is to simply let your word be trustworthy enough to stand on its own. Jesus was simply instructing his audience to let their speech be so truthful that their “yes” meant “yes” and their “no” meant “no.”
The Sermon on the Mount provides Christians with a high standard for ethical living and right motivations. It is provides a solid ethical foundation to stand on in a morally-compromising world. However, just as the pain in a friend's body did not subside until she took some medicine, so too the principles found in the Sermon on the Mount will have no effect on our behavior unless we internalize them as well.
Let your yes be yes. Be truthful in all your dealings. This is the Word of God to you and me.
Yet I see it as a symptom of a national spiritual sickness. Where is the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) in all of this? Do you want people lying about you? Has our respect for the truth evaporated in 21st century America?
Truthfulness is at the heart of the Gospel. God gives us the truth and He expects us to give the truth to each other, not manipulate the facts deceitfully to our advantage.
We need to go no further than the words of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount to see the importance of truthfulness and integrity. The principle that is present in Matthew 5:33-37 is to simply let your word be trustworthy enough to stand on its own. Jesus was simply instructing his audience to let their speech be so truthful that their “yes” meant “yes” and their “no” meant “no.”
The Sermon on the Mount provides Christians with a high standard for ethical living and right motivations. It is provides a solid ethical foundation to stand on in a morally-compromising world. However, just as the pain in a friend's body did not subside until she took some medicine, so too the principles found in the Sermon on the Mount will have no effect on our behavior unless we internalize them as well.
Let your yes be yes. Be truthful in all your dealings. This is the Word of God to you and me.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Living for Jesus -- A Checkup from the Heart Up
Here is a wonderful rendering of what we are to be as Christians --
Striving to be found faithful to
the Great Commission (Matthew 28),
the Great Commandment (John 13), and
the Great Community (I Peter 4), in accordance with
the Great Criteria (Matthew 25) of the least, the last, and the lost.
Questions for Churches and the Christians that are part of them:
Grace - Are we demonstrating the grace of God in this and every situation?
Biblically Grounded - Are we looking to the Bible as our guide for faith and practice?
Prayer - Are we consciously aware of our utter dependence upon God through prayer?
Reconciliation - Are we active participants in God's program to reconcile people to God and to each other?
Inclusiveness - Are we being careful to not limit anyone's participation based on unbiblical criteria?
Stewardship of Life - Are we responsibly managing all the resources that have been entrusted to our care?
Evangelism and Discipleship - Are we giving adequate attention both to reaching the world with the gospel and to nurturing the spiritual formation of the church?
Simplicity and Clarity - Are we sure we are communicating as simply and clearly as possible?
Autonomy and Interdependence - Are we balancing our individual rights and responsibilities with our responsibilities as a part of the larger community of faith?
Strategic Focus on Children and Youth - Are we utilizing the greatest window of opportunity to reach people for Christ?
Gift-, Ability-, Talent-, and Personality-Based Service - Are we helping people find their optimal place of service based on who they are?
Servant Leadership - Are we following Jesus' model and teaching to be the servant of all?
Radical Discipleship - Are we encouraging one another to make radical commitments to live for Christ?
ARE WE LIVING FOR JESUS EACH DAY?
Striving to be found faithful to
the Great Commission (Matthew 28),
the Great Commandment (John 13), and
the Great Community (I Peter 4), in accordance with
the Great Criteria (Matthew 25) of the least, the last, and the lost.
Questions for Churches and the Christians that are part of them:
Grace - Are we demonstrating the grace of God in this and every situation?
Biblically Grounded - Are we looking to the Bible as our guide for faith and practice?
Prayer - Are we consciously aware of our utter dependence upon God through prayer?
Reconciliation - Are we active participants in God's program to reconcile people to God and to each other?
Inclusiveness - Are we being careful to not limit anyone's participation based on unbiblical criteria?
Stewardship of Life - Are we responsibly managing all the resources that have been entrusted to our care?
Evangelism and Discipleship - Are we giving adequate attention both to reaching the world with the gospel and to nurturing the spiritual formation of the church?
Simplicity and Clarity - Are we sure we are communicating as simply and clearly as possible?
Autonomy and Interdependence - Are we balancing our individual rights and responsibilities with our responsibilities as a part of the larger community of faith?
Strategic Focus on Children and Youth - Are we utilizing the greatest window of opportunity to reach people for Christ?
Gift-, Ability-, Talent-, and Personality-Based Service - Are we helping people find their optimal place of service based on who they are?
Servant Leadership - Are we following Jesus' model and teaching to be the servant of all?
Radical Discipleship - Are we encouraging one another to make radical commitments to live for Christ?
ARE WE LIVING FOR JESUS EACH DAY?
Sunday, September 07, 2008
The Blessing of a Wedding
I officiated at weddings the past two weekends and they were special occasions. You see how special life can be at a wedding. It is a service filled with promise, a ceremony that paints a bright picuture of what the future might be. At the heart of the service is a belief that God will be a partner in the marriage.
Hear is a prayer for all marriages -- O GRACIOUS GOD. Bless this marriage, as this couple continues their journey down the road of life together. Please bless their going in and the coming out, and every step along the way of their lives together. Oh Lord, we thank you for the union of hearts. We know that Heaven sings in triumph each day for the blessed and powerful love they share and that that love unveils the glory of your name. May they always walk with you by their side. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN!
Hear is a prayer for all marriages -- O GRACIOUS GOD. Bless this marriage, as this couple continues their journey down the road of life together. Please bless their going in and the coming out, and every step along the way of their lives together. Oh Lord, we thank you for the union of hearts. We know that Heaven sings in triumph each day for the blessed and powerful love they share and that that love unveils the glory of your name. May they always walk with you by their side. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN!
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