In Mark 7 Jesus contrasts faithful service to God from the mockery many of the Pharisees had made it. He explains how their lack of willingness to sacrifice for their parents (for example) was a rejection of God’s will, and therefore it was in vain. (Mark 7:6-13) He uses the word Corban, which He defines as a gift for God. In the Hebrew, the word is Qorban, which has a lot to do with “closeness” and “a relative.” What God would have liked to see the children do for their parents is to be willing to sacrifice for them when they were in need.
A 17th Century theologian said, “Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to.” There’s no higher honor than to sacrifice. This was what God wanted from the Israelites during the days of animal sacrifices, and it’s what He wants from us today. Romans 12:1, “…present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,” which is truly the way to worship him.
Many people say they are willing to sacrifice anything to be happy, but would they give something up to bless someone else? Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” And in Acts 20:35, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”
Perhaps it’s for this reason that we feel so compelled to honor our military, or our teachers, or our police and other servicemen. But as satisfying as sacrifice may END UP feeling, we don’t always feel that during the sacrifice.
This Mother’s Day, we honor our mothers for the continual sacrifices they make for others. They set the standard of genuine love, nurturing, compassion, and selflessness. The Bible has several examples of women who were willing to give up so much for those they loved. Hannah, in particular, gave the child she prayed for over to Eli the priest to serve God (1 Samuel 1-2). It might be hard to put ourselves in her shoes to understand giving up someone you waited so long to get, we can also realize that when we give our children over to God, then we are perhaps giving the greatest blessing of all to the ones we love – the Love of God! (John 3:16)
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Sunday, April 28, 2019
What is the soul?
What is the soul? Or maybe, who is the soul? Perhaps it's helpful to determine how the word has been defined by mankind. In the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary, the word for soul is defined as life, person, breath. The Hebrew word Nephesh is further described as the man himself, or we might say individual (as was a common old English usage of the word).
Although the usage of a word can drastically alter how we might describe it, however there are some words we don’t need to look up to understand – even if we don’t fully understand it.
When it comes to things we feel, we may not always understand how to describe the feeling, but we recognize it as something. Similarly, there is something within us that recognizes what our soul is regardless of how someone defines it. “We just know it deep within our soul.”
If Nephesh, soul, simply means life, then all living things have a soul. Is that important? Going back to Jesus’ summation of the scriptures in the iconic passage found in Matthew 22:37-39, we can see the importance our soul’s engagement into the things of God and things he created. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
We are therefore commanded to love life (Nephesh). 1 Peter 3:8-12 describes how the soul should be part of our nature. “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Hopefully we can see why loving God with our whole soul is key to showing love towards others. As an introduction into the nature of our soul, perhaps focusing on how my love for all life will be what helps my soul to thrive and be the part of me that God delights in.
Although the usage of a word can drastically alter how we might describe it, however there are some words we don’t need to look up to understand – even if we don’t fully understand it.
When it comes to things we feel, we may not always understand how to describe the feeling, but we recognize it as something. Similarly, there is something within us that recognizes what our soul is regardless of how someone defines it. “We just know it deep within our soul.”
If Nephesh, soul, simply means life, then all living things have a soul. Is that important? Going back to Jesus’ summation of the scriptures in the iconic passage found in Matthew 22:37-39, we can see the importance our soul’s engagement into the things of God and things he created. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
We are therefore commanded to love life (Nephesh). 1 Peter 3:8-12 describes how the soul should be part of our nature. “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Hopefully we can see why loving God with our whole soul is key to showing love towards others. As an introduction into the nature of our soul, perhaps focusing on how my love for all life will be what helps my soul to thrive and be the part of me that God delights in.
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Our New Altar
Have you ever thought about the purpose of an altar? It is a sacred place for sacrifices and gifts offered up to God, and the word Altar just means “high.” Therefore, it was upon these authorized “high” places where people under Mosaic law would offer up animal sacrifices as a gift to God. But animal sacrifices went away because Jesus’ sacrifice was greater, and He was ushering a new time when our offering to God would have less to do with our guilt, and more to do with serving God through our love for others. Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
But it took Jesus dying. Hebrews 9:28, “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” He didn’t need to continue to offer Himself, because He was perfect! (Hebrews 10:1-18) But His sacrifice showed us a purer picture of God’s love, and that helps us know how to walk in a similar way. Ephesians 5:2, “Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
It’s interesting to see how God used death as a way to help us show love towards one another. Jesus told His followers in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.”
It’s clear throughout scriptures that sacrifices had a deeper meaning than just killing an animal and cooking it (read Malachi 1:6-13). The sin (moral infractions) and trespass (contractual breech) offerings were intended to be eaten by the family and friends of the one offering the gift to God. (Leviticus 6-7). So that, just as Jesus’ death brought life to our lives, the animal’s death brings fellowship to those participating in that sacrifice.
Therefore, the resurrection of Jesus is another thing that sets His sacrifice apart from the previous animal sacrifices – death wouldn’t stop Him! In the animal sacrifices, once it was totally eaten, it was finished. But Jesus is the lamb that never dies; therefore we never cease to feast on His grace and mercy. He served us so that we could better know how to serve each other forever. Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
His resurrection conquered sin and death once for all, and therefore those who trust in Christ (Matthew 7:21, Romans 5:1-5, John 14:15) will also share in His power over the grave. Remember the words of Paul to the Romans in Romans 12:1-2 and consider them instructions for our sacrifices today. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
But it took Jesus dying. Hebrews 9:28, “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” He didn’t need to continue to offer Himself, because He was perfect! (Hebrews 10:1-18) But His sacrifice showed us a purer picture of God’s love, and that helps us know how to walk in a similar way. Ephesians 5:2, “Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
It’s interesting to see how God used death as a way to help us show love towards one another. Jesus told His followers in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.”
It’s clear throughout scriptures that sacrifices had a deeper meaning than just killing an animal and cooking it (read Malachi 1:6-13). The sin (moral infractions) and trespass (contractual breech) offerings were intended to be eaten by the family and friends of the one offering the gift to God. (Leviticus 6-7). So that, just as Jesus’ death brought life to our lives, the animal’s death brings fellowship to those participating in that sacrifice.
Therefore, the resurrection of Jesus is another thing that sets His sacrifice apart from the previous animal sacrifices – death wouldn’t stop Him! In the animal sacrifices, once it was totally eaten, it was finished. But Jesus is the lamb that never dies; therefore we never cease to feast on His grace and mercy. He served us so that we could better know how to serve each other forever. Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
His resurrection conquered sin and death once for all, and therefore those who trust in Christ (Matthew 7:21, Romans 5:1-5, John 14:15) will also share in His power over the grave. Remember the words of Paul to the Romans in Romans 12:1-2 and consider them instructions for our sacrifices today. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Sacrifice
What is the purpose of sacrifice? Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects, or the lives of animals to a higher purpose as an act of worship. But what does God want? Bloody corpse? Death?
The Old Covenant (Testament) was inaugurated in Genesis 15:8-19, where God tells Abram of his inheritance that will come someday in the future. Abram’s job in the meantime was to trust God. The Old Testament, therefore, focuses on Abram’s descendants’ failure to fully trust God. In other words, mankind broke their end of the covenant.
What were they trusting God to do? To bring a new kingdom, a new land where their enemies would never harm them, where peace was the theme, where God could once more fellowship with them.
The sacrifices were necessary to connect man’s guilt to God’s promise. The promise could only be fulfilled by God’s faithfulness. Our righteousness wasn’t going to do it. But, every time they had to kill an innocent animal, it was supposed to remind them of that covenant: the animal had to die because of their failure to keep the covenant).
One of the interesting things about many of the animal sacrifices was that the animal had to be fully consumed before the third day (except the entrails and certain organs). But how could one family fully consume the animal? Some portions were easier to eat than others, but the way to do it was to join together with other friends and family to share in the meal provided by this sacrifice.
Although the animal died because of man’s sin, the result of the sacrifice brought people together sharing an important reminder-feast of God’s promises expressed in repentance and fellowship. God’s plan has always been to unite His children together for the purpose of close, meaningful relationship (like it was in the Garden).
But as Hebrews 10:4 says, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Those were just a shadow of the real sacrifice that was to take place by the perfect man AS the perfect lamb to be slaughtered. Isaiah 53:5-7 prophetically describes Jesus this way, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter… (11) He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.”
Is there any doubt that God instituted animal sacrifices to show His people how terrible sin is? And Jesus, the Son of God, had to come down and fulfill our end of the covenant too. Take time to read Mark 11:1-11 to get a glimpse of the beginning phase of this ultimate sacrifice offered by Jesus, the Messiah. Then consider the importance of fellowship and repentance in what Jesus established in the church.
The Old Covenant (Testament) was inaugurated in Genesis 15:8-19, where God tells Abram of his inheritance that will come someday in the future. Abram’s job in the meantime was to trust God. The Old Testament, therefore, focuses on Abram’s descendants’ failure to fully trust God. In other words, mankind broke their end of the covenant.
What were they trusting God to do? To bring a new kingdom, a new land where their enemies would never harm them, where peace was the theme, where God could once more fellowship with them.
The sacrifices were necessary to connect man’s guilt to God’s promise. The promise could only be fulfilled by God’s faithfulness. Our righteousness wasn’t going to do it. But, every time they had to kill an innocent animal, it was supposed to remind them of that covenant: the animal had to die because of their failure to keep the covenant).
One of the interesting things about many of the animal sacrifices was that the animal had to be fully consumed before the third day (except the entrails and certain organs). But how could one family fully consume the animal? Some portions were easier to eat than others, but the way to do it was to join together with other friends and family to share in the meal provided by this sacrifice.
Although the animal died because of man’s sin, the result of the sacrifice brought people together sharing an important reminder-feast of God’s promises expressed in repentance and fellowship. God’s plan has always been to unite His children together for the purpose of close, meaningful relationship (like it was in the Garden).
But as Hebrews 10:4 says, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Those were just a shadow of the real sacrifice that was to take place by the perfect man AS the perfect lamb to be slaughtered. Isaiah 53:5-7 prophetically describes Jesus this way, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter… (11) He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.”
Is there any doubt that God instituted animal sacrifices to show His people how terrible sin is? And Jesus, the Son of God, had to come down and fulfill our end of the covenant too. Take time to read Mark 11:1-11 to get a glimpse of the beginning phase of this ultimate sacrifice offered by Jesus, the Messiah. Then consider the importance of fellowship and repentance in what Jesus established in the church.
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Who Is God?
Who is God? What kind of answer do we expect to hear? When it comes to ourselves, we expect to hear things like: gender, ethnic background, personality, occupation, or religious affiliation. And each of these descriptions help us come up with an image of someone. However, God’s description is unique because His physical features are not really even comprehensible to us.
Human nature seeks long and hard to know more about the physical nature of God. First of all, is He real? Then, people start looking at what He looks like; much like the question some of the folks at Corinth were asking, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” But Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 15:40, “There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.” In other words, don’t try to understand the physical attributes of God so much that you overlook the spiritual nature of God.
Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” The part of His nature that He has spent the most time describing is the part that shows what He’s doing to help us.
God said at the inauguration of His covenant with Abram, in Genesis 15:1, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I AM your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Since that time, God has continually shown us how much He is a shield to us, how much His life truly is our reward.
David wrote many songs recognizing God’s nature in various ways, like in 2 Samuel 22:3, “The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge…” Or in Psalms 3:3, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.”
All the way to the end of the Bible, after Jesus came to earth to offer Himself as a sacrifice, after the establishment of the church (the body of Christ), all the way to the end of the last book. Jesus says in Revelations 22:12-13, “Behold, I AM coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
In Exodus 3 God introduces himself to Moses as “I AM”, which ultimately has been defined as meaning the totally self-sufficient one, I AM able to provide for all needs (Psalms 50:8-15), I AM all powerful (Jeremiah 32:27), I AM loving-kindness (Psalms 117:2). It seems "I AM" is a perfect starting place to explore who God is and how He loves us.
Human nature seeks long and hard to know more about the physical nature of God. First of all, is He real? Then, people start looking at what He looks like; much like the question some of the folks at Corinth were asking, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” But Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 15:40, “There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.” In other words, don’t try to understand the physical attributes of God so much that you overlook the spiritual nature of God.
Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” The part of His nature that He has spent the most time describing is the part that shows what He’s doing to help us.
God said at the inauguration of His covenant with Abram, in Genesis 15:1, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I AM your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Since that time, God has continually shown us how much He is a shield to us, how much His life truly is our reward.
David wrote many songs recognizing God’s nature in various ways, like in 2 Samuel 22:3, “The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge…” Or in Psalms 3:3, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.”
All the way to the end of the Bible, after Jesus came to earth to offer Himself as a sacrifice, after the establishment of the church (the body of Christ), all the way to the end of the last book. Jesus says in Revelations 22:12-13, “Behold, I AM coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
In Exodus 3 God introduces himself to Moses as “I AM”, which ultimately has been defined as meaning the totally self-sufficient one, I AM able to provide for all needs (Psalms 50:8-15), I AM all powerful (Jeremiah 32:27), I AM loving-kindness (Psalms 117:2). It seems "I AM" is a perfect starting place to explore who God is and how He loves us.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
The Way God Sees You
Corinthians 6:20, “...for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body.” (NLT)
It takes a lot of work to see yourself as God sees you. It’s easier to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. You see how you don’t say the right thing or do as good in school as a friend does. You see how no matter how hard you practice, you aren’t as good as the other players on the team. All the comparisons can make you feel discouraged.
However, there is hope. Regardless of whether you say the most intelligent or clever things or make the winning point for your team, you have value to God. God paid a great price for you. You have value because God was willing to give everything He had to make a relationship with Him possible, and He's completely worth it.
So, if you have struggled with insecurities, failure, and low self-esteem, be encouraged. God doesn’t love you based on your ability; He loves you because he does. Because God loves you in such a wonderful way, it causes us to want to honor Him.
Romans 8:31-37, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (37) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (NLT)
It takes a lot of work to see yourself as God sees you. It’s easier to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. You see how you don’t say the right thing or do as good in school as a friend does. You see how no matter how hard you practice, you aren’t as good as the other players on the team. All the comparisons can make you feel discouraged.
However, there is hope. Regardless of whether you say the most intelligent or clever things or make the winning point for your team, you have value to God. God paid a great price for you. You have value because God was willing to give everything He had to make a relationship with Him possible, and He's completely worth it.
So, if you have struggled with insecurities, failure, and low self-esteem, be encouraged. God doesn’t love you based on your ability; He loves you because he does. Because God loves you in such a wonderful way, it causes us to want to honor Him.
Romans 8:31-37, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (37) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (NLT)
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Are We Humble Enough?
The Bible has proven to be a great mystery for mankind. A glimpse into the mind of the one who created all. His story isn’t always pleasant to read; it's not always logical from a human standpoint, but it is a book that—to those who seriously meditate on it—is a powerful ray of hope. As one poet said, “The Holy Scriptures are like the veil that separates a beautiful paradise from a world of survival and pain. To those who venture into its pages will peak underneath to catch a glimpse of the glory of God.”
Yet, Scriptures are full of mysteries that will ONLY be revealed at God’s return. In the meantime, we strain to better understand God’s way of thinking and quickly realize that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). But that’s why we need to do as God tells the Israelites in Isaiah 1:18-20, “Come now, and let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.”
It’s in the reasoning together that we better understand what God is looking for in His followers, in His children, in His people. Scriptures reveal that what He’s looking for is not about self, it's not about greed, it's not about revenge, it's not about fear…but that He can cleanse us from all unrighteousness, from all of the internal turmoil that many of us struggle with daily.
An example of His paradoxical (seemingly contradictory) teaching is in Proverbs 11:24, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” But that’s just the beginning, because the deeper we get into who God is and what He wants to see in us, the more we see the genius and liberating nature of God. Think about who Jesus told the Apostles would be the greatest in the kingdom of God: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)! Time after time, Jesus turned the common way of thinking about relationships, faith, charity, and even God upside down. This mysterious telescope into the throne room of heaven reveals that humility is a key ingredient to being able to understand God’s nature (Philippians 2:5-11, James 4:6-10, Matthew 18:2-5).
Are we humble enough to meditate on God’s word to better see how to live, how to find purpose and meaning in life, how to succeed, and how to find peace? God “has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Yet, Scriptures are full of mysteries that will ONLY be revealed at God’s return. In the meantime, we strain to better understand God’s way of thinking and quickly realize that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). But that’s why we need to do as God tells the Israelites in Isaiah 1:18-20, “Come now, and let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.”
It’s in the reasoning together that we better understand what God is looking for in His followers, in His children, in His people. Scriptures reveal that what He’s looking for is not about self, it's not about greed, it's not about revenge, it's not about fear…but that He can cleanse us from all unrighteousness, from all of the internal turmoil that many of us struggle with daily.
An example of His paradoxical (seemingly contradictory) teaching is in Proverbs 11:24, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” But that’s just the beginning, because the deeper we get into who God is and what He wants to see in us, the more we see the genius and liberating nature of God. Think about who Jesus told the Apostles would be the greatest in the kingdom of God: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)! Time after time, Jesus turned the common way of thinking about relationships, faith, charity, and even God upside down. This mysterious telescope into the throne room of heaven reveals that humility is a key ingredient to being able to understand God’s nature (Philippians 2:5-11, James 4:6-10, Matthew 18:2-5).
Are we humble enough to meditate on God’s word to better see how to live, how to find purpose and meaning in life, how to succeed, and how to find peace? God “has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Passing the Torch
Every generation has a fear of passing the torch to the next generation because what they may, or may not, do with what they’ve been given. So, how does a “young person” view the future? One survey taken on Linked-in showed some of their fears about the future…
(1) Weak Connectivity. But it’s not just about WiFi. They are concerned about the growing number of people who struggle with weak connectivity in their relationship, or parents who have issues relating to their children. Or those waiting to find that special someone to connect with. Or people who feel alone and unconnected to community. Connection, or the lack of it, is a huge issue in our lives today.
(2) The annoying buffering symbol. The wait for something good to download can seem like an eternity, but you can look beyond YouTube or a stubborn website and see how the fear you’re only getting half a story and not seeing the full picture, because seeing the full picture explains so many things: it gives us perspective, understanding and meaning. The fact of “not being able to get to that” can be a real fear for folks.
(3) Low Battery is not only a smartphone or computer problem. It symbolizes the stress of limited resources, not enough money or time to do what you want to do in a day or in life, or lack of health or strength keeping you back. The worry about not having enough of what we need affects us, young people in the workforce, or looking to get into it, older retirees, and families with children. It’s even a problem for the governments. We want to do and accomplish so much but need the resources to be able to do it.
These fears may be real, but they shouldn’t keep us out of the game. Instead, we read godly instructions in God’s word like Psalms 119:9-10, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!” These, and many like it can help us find purpose and meaning in life and help us avoid chasing after things that don’t matter, or things that cloud our view of life.
The better our grasp on the reality of this life the more we can face tomorrow with confidence. 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
(1) Weak Connectivity. But it’s not just about WiFi. They are concerned about the growing number of people who struggle with weak connectivity in their relationship, or parents who have issues relating to their children. Or those waiting to find that special someone to connect with. Or people who feel alone and unconnected to community. Connection, or the lack of it, is a huge issue in our lives today.
(2) The annoying buffering symbol. The wait for something good to download can seem like an eternity, but you can look beyond YouTube or a stubborn website and see how the fear you’re only getting half a story and not seeing the full picture, because seeing the full picture explains so many things: it gives us perspective, understanding and meaning. The fact of “not being able to get to that” can be a real fear for folks.
(3) Low Battery is not only a smartphone or computer problem. It symbolizes the stress of limited resources, not enough money or time to do what you want to do in a day or in life, or lack of health or strength keeping you back. The worry about not having enough of what we need affects us, young people in the workforce, or looking to get into it, older retirees, and families with children. It’s even a problem for the governments. We want to do and accomplish so much but need the resources to be able to do it.
These fears may be real, but they shouldn’t keep us out of the game. Instead, we read godly instructions in God’s word like Psalms 119:9-10, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!” These, and many like it can help us find purpose and meaning in life and help us avoid chasing after things that don’t matter, or things that cloud our view of life.
The better our grasp on the reality of this life the more we can face tomorrow with confidence. 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Faith of Our Fathers
Frederick Faber was an Anglican priest and hymn writer that made many efforts to bridge the gap between the Catholic church and the Church of England (Anglican) during the mid-19th century.
His hope, in his poetry and songwriting, was to help express the Saxon thought to the Catholic church, and even broader goal was to influence the “church” to recognize how desperately people everywhere need to hear and understand the message of God’s power, love, and discipline (2 Timothy 1:7), and by doing so, highlighting the power of unity from the non-believer’s perspective.
As Jesus prayed in John 17:23 expressing the power of unity, “[I pray] that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
Frederick was a devout Englishman and a loyalist to the English traditions, but he wanted his love for his tradition to positively influence his ever-changing world. His most famous hymn, Faith of Our Fathers, acknowledges the legacy of Catholic martyrs in England who had died since and during the time of Henry VIII.
While this may not have a lot of deep meaning to those living outside of the realm of Catholicism, it does show his efforts to “bridge the gap” between his generation and the previous ones. Perhaps, we could learn from his desire and ask the question, “What are some qualities about your generation that you feel others could learn from?”
Faith of Our Fathers
By Frederick Faber
Faith of our fathers, living still
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword,
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious word!
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death!
Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free;
And blest would be their children’s fate,
If they, like them should die for thee:
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death!
Faith of our fathers, we will strive
To win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God
Mankind shall then indeed be free.
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death!
Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death!
His hope, in his poetry and songwriting, was to help express the Saxon thought to the Catholic church, and even broader goal was to influence the “church” to recognize how desperately people everywhere need to hear and understand the message of God’s power, love, and discipline (2 Timothy 1:7), and by doing so, highlighting the power of unity from the non-believer’s perspective.
As Jesus prayed in John 17:23 expressing the power of unity, “[I pray] that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
Frederick was a devout Englishman and a loyalist to the English traditions, but he wanted his love for his tradition to positively influence his ever-changing world. His most famous hymn, Faith of Our Fathers, acknowledges the legacy of Catholic martyrs in England who had died since and during the time of Henry VIII.
While this may not have a lot of deep meaning to those living outside of the realm of Catholicism, it does show his efforts to “bridge the gap” between his generation and the previous ones. Perhaps, we could learn from his desire and ask the question, “What are some qualities about your generation that you feel others could learn from?”
Faith of Our Fathers
By Frederick Faber
Faith of our fathers, living still
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword,
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious word!
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death!
Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free;
And blest would be their children’s fate,
If they, like them should die for thee:
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death!
Faith of our fathers, we will strive
To win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God
Mankind shall then indeed be free.
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death!
Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death!
Friday, March 15, 2019
The Beauty of God's Love
Throughout the centuries, people have gravitated towards a particular Psalm of David, and it's quite easily the most famous of the Psalms. I’m sure many folks reading this can quote Psalm 23, but have you ever wondered why this Psalm in particular? Plenty of Psalms reflect on the beauty of God or His kingdom, His mighty power or infinite love, so why this one? Perhaps it's because of the hope through trials that we can connect with it so strongly.
Psalms 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Jesus compared Himself to a good shepherd and reassured His followers that Satan could never pull them away from God, "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one." (John 10:29-30)
Some have used this verse to describe 'once saved always saved,' but when you look at it closely, He's not saying that we can't walk away from the sheep pin; He's saying Satan doesn't have power to force you out of it. God doesn't want anyone to perish, but He wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The God we serve has the power to save, but He won't force you to be saved. Instead, He'll lead us by His love to quiet waters of refreshment, just like He offered living water to the woman at the well (John 4). When I drink from His well, when I eat the good food He has prepared for me, when I follow Him, I find amazing hope for the future.
Satan works diligently at trying to destroy that hope and cause us to abandon Christ. One powerful way he does that is through guilt, shame, embarrassment. Every time we give in to temptation and compromise our faith for some trick of the Devil, we can feel worthless before God. The beauty is God loves us more than we could ever know. The more we recognize that, the more compelling His guidance is to our life. And that brings amazing hope to our lives.
1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
Psalms 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Jesus compared Himself to a good shepherd and reassured His followers that Satan could never pull them away from God, "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one." (John 10:29-30)
Some have used this verse to describe 'once saved always saved,' but when you look at it closely, He's not saying that we can't walk away from the sheep pin; He's saying Satan doesn't have power to force you out of it. God doesn't want anyone to perish, but He wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The God we serve has the power to save, but He won't force you to be saved. Instead, He'll lead us by His love to quiet waters of refreshment, just like He offered living water to the woman at the well (John 4). When I drink from His well, when I eat the good food He has prepared for me, when I follow Him, I find amazing hope for the future.
Satan works diligently at trying to destroy that hope and cause us to abandon Christ. One powerful way he does that is through guilt, shame, embarrassment. Every time we give in to temptation and compromise our faith for some trick of the Devil, we can feel worthless before God. The beauty is God loves us more than we could ever know. The more we recognize that, the more compelling His guidance is to our life. And that brings amazing hope to our lives.
1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
Sunday, March 10, 2019
God's Dumb Ways?
Sometimes God’s plans look a little…dumb. At least they don’t always make sense to us. As we look at the people He selected, to the places He took them, to the way He would save us—well, we wouldn’t do that! But God’s okay with our inability to comprehend His ways and ideas. Just as Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'"
In fact, He may enjoy showing up in ways we never would have expected; as Habakkuk discovered in Habakkuk 1:5, "Look among the nations and watch—be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you."
We never would believe that the weakest, the smallest, the poorest, the least sophisticated would have what it takes to be the kind of people God would use to bring about an eternal change to the world, but He does. From Gideon to David, or Thomas to Zacchaeus, God has picked people to reveal His power and His nature.
1 Corinthians 1:18-21, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.' Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe…."
Don’t ever mistake the silence of God on an issue that you think He should step up and take care of as a sign that He doesn’t exist or doesn’t care. But in those moments of silence, reflect on what many other people we read about in scriptures had to learn how to do: "Be still and know that I am God!" (Psalms 46:10).
Hebrews 11:6, "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."
In fact, He may enjoy showing up in ways we never would have expected; as Habakkuk discovered in Habakkuk 1:5, "Look among the nations and watch—be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you."
We never would believe that the weakest, the smallest, the poorest, the least sophisticated would have what it takes to be the kind of people God would use to bring about an eternal change to the world, but He does. From Gideon to David, or Thomas to Zacchaeus, God has picked people to reveal His power and His nature.
1 Corinthians 1:18-21, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.' Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe…."
Don’t ever mistake the silence of God on an issue that you think He should step up and take care of as a sign that He doesn’t exist or doesn’t care. But in those moments of silence, reflect on what many other people we read about in scriptures had to learn how to do: "Be still and know that I am God!" (Psalms 46:10).
Hebrews 11:6, "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."
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Running with God
When I was a kid, I wanted to run because my dad started running. It wasn’t until junior high that I actually joined track and then cross country. Through the years I participated in lots of different style of races. However, the most exciting race was the first race I participated in with my kids. Back in 2013 when my daughter finished her first 5K, I was so proud of her. Since then, time and my knees don’t let me run quite as much as I want to, but I still try to get out there occasionally to do it with my kids. It’s a passion of mine that my children would share my love for running and working out.
I can’t help but think that God really likes to see His children take up running the race that He’s involved in – the race to save the world. John said in 3 John 4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that My children walk (or run) in truth.” (also 2 John 4).
Our journey with God here on earth is truly a race (Hebrews 12:1, 2 Timothy 4:7). A physical feat of persevering through the pain and frustrations of failures and setbacks. It doesn’t take long to realize how much sin trips us up, making it impossible to run perfectly. But God has given us His spirit to be our motivator and coach.
Galatians 5:16-17, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
Our opponent in this race could really be ourselves. We allow doubt, fear, pride, lust, etc. get in the way of what we know is right and true. 2 Peter 3:3-4; 14, “Know this, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation....” (14) ...beloved, looking forward to the Day of the Lord, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless….”
Unlike us, God won’t get tired or broken down in the race, but like us, He wants to encourage us to keep going, push through the setbacks, and to remember the goal, the purpose for our running.
Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Our focus may be the determining factor as to our faithfulness, our perseverance, and ultimately our growing love for God.
I can’t help but think that God really likes to see His children take up running the race that He’s involved in – the race to save the world. John said in 3 John 4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that My children walk (or run) in truth.” (also 2 John 4).
Our journey with God here on earth is truly a race (Hebrews 12:1, 2 Timothy 4:7). A physical feat of persevering through the pain and frustrations of failures and setbacks. It doesn’t take long to realize how much sin trips us up, making it impossible to run perfectly. But God has given us His spirit to be our motivator and coach.
Galatians 5:16-17, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
Our opponent in this race could really be ourselves. We allow doubt, fear, pride, lust, etc. get in the way of what we know is right and true. 2 Peter 3:3-4; 14, “Know this, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation....” (14) ...beloved, looking forward to the Day of the Lord, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless….”
Unlike us, God won’t get tired or broken down in the race, but like us, He wants to encourage us to keep going, push through the setbacks, and to remember the goal, the purpose for our running.
Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Our focus may be the determining factor as to our faithfulness, our perseverance, and ultimately our growing love for God.
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Seeking God Builds Faith That Can Be Shared
Do you ever feel like you just don’t have a lot of opportunities to talk about
God with your friends? Or you don’t know what to say? The Bible is full of amazing stories of people just like you and me that were faced
with similar situations. They had their fair share of pressure from the culture
(Romans or Sanhedrin) to fears of hunger, disease, even death. They had
money problems, relationship problems, and legal problems. While we read
about their stories, the truth is we all have a similar story. Because we all deal
with problems like fear, lust, greed, anger, etc.
Recently I was teaching a Bible study on 1 Peter and we discussed how God had given them what they needed to be able to “be a light” even though they were going through plenty of hardship and persecution. They needed to be encouraged by God’s word to help them keep going. Although our troubles probably aren’t life-threatening, we still need to seek God.
Every time we seek God during a problem in life, we end up building our faith in God to see us through that particular problem. With that added knowledge and experience, we now have a story that is very personal and very applicable to how to live according to scriptures.
2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Our job is to “rightly divide” or “explain correctly” what the Bible (the word of truth) is revealing to us. In 1 Peter 1:12, Peter told the people scattered throughout Asia that the prophets of old were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who were willing to share God’s power working in their lives.
We have to realize that God’s word is applicable, or else we’ll begin to view it as some people view math as “something I’ll never use," and then we’ll categorize it away as worthless or obsolete. We know it is truly God’s word, and it has the power to save. Just as Paul said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.” (NLT)
Recently I was teaching a Bible study on 1 Peter and we discussed how God had given them what they needed to be able to “be a light” even though they were going through plenty of hardship and persecution. They needed to be encouraged by God’s word to help them keep going. Although our troubles probably aren’t life-threatening, we still need to seek God.
Every time we seek God during a problem in life, we end up building our faith in God to see us through that particular problem. With that added knowledge and experience, we now have a story that is very personal and very applicable to how to live according to scriptures.
2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Our job is to “rightly divide” or “explain correctly” what the Bible (the word of truth) is revealing to us. In 1 Peter 1:12, Peter told the people scattered throughout Asia that the prophets of old were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who were willing to share God’s power working in their lives.
We have to realize that God’s word is applicable, or else we’ll begin to view it as some people view math as “something I’ll never use," and then we’ll categorize it away as worthless or obsolete. We know it is truly God’s word, and it has the power to save. Just as Paul said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.” (NLT)
Friday, February 15, 2019
Where Can You Run To?
Where do you go when you’re in a place you don’t want to be? When you really messed up and did something, or said something you
know you shouldn’t have? God established a place that offered safety for a person that sinned and then came to their senses. We can read
about the Cities of Refuge in the book of Numbers. Moses instructed the people in Numbers 35:10, “When you cross the Jordan into the land
of Canaan, designate cities of refuge to which people can run to for safety if they’ve have killed someone accidentally. These cities will
be places of protection [from those seeking revenge].”
But where do you go when your sin is against the owner of the City of Refuge, or God himself? Much like Adam and Eve, we often tend to hide from God. In Psalms 139:1-8, David wrote a psalm describing God’s nature to our sin versus our response to our sin: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there….”
Perhaps our biggest enemy is when we find ourselves caught up in a spiritual place that we don’t want to be in, a sinful situation, is actually ourselves. We can be our biggest obstacle from receiving the unfathomable grace of God.
Peter reminded the “pilgrims of the Dispersion,” in 1 Peter 1:1 to put their hope in God’s amazing mercy and His incorruptible promises as our source of strength. And he later reminds them that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). This is another way God reveals His nature to us. Instead of revenge and justice, He prefers righteousness and mercy (2 Peter 3:9). This is what Nicodemus discovered about God’s nature in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
As we consider the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), try to consider what God wants us to do when we’ve been burdened by sin, when we’ve wandered far away from home, when we’ve turned our back on Him -- He wants us to run to His home, to His presence. The prodigal son found great peace in coming to the realization that in his father’s presence is where he needed to be.
But where do you go when your sin is against the owner of the City of Refuge, or God himself? Much like Adam and Eve, we often tend to hide from God. In Psalms 139:1-8, David wrote a psalm describing God’s nature to our sin versus our response to our sin: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there….”
Perhaps our biggest enemy is when we find ourselves caught up in a spiritual place that we don’t want to be in, a sinful situation, is actually ourselves. We can be our biggest obstacle from receiving the unfathomable grace of God.
Peter reminded the “pilgrims of the Dispersion,” in 1 Peter 1:1 to put their hope in God’s amazing mercy and His incorruptible promises as our source of strength. And he later reminds them that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). This is another way God reveals His nature to us. Instead of revenge and justice, He prefers righteousness and mercy (2 Peter 3:9). This is what Nicodemus discovered about God’s nature in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
As we consider the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), try to consider what God wants us to do when we’ve been burdened by sin, when we’ve wandered far away from home, when we’ve turned our back on Him -- He wants us to run to His home, to His presence. The prodigal son found great peace in coming to the realization that in his father’s presence is where he needed to be.
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Marriage--The Evangelistic Tool
I recently read an article where a Christian woman was desperately encouraging Christian men to stop engaging in sexual sins, regardless of how difficult it may be to break away from, because it’s hurting the church and the message of salvation. Very true!
At the root, sexual sin is about acceptance, which is a very important reason these kinds of sins are so appealing. There are many people living in marriages where either spouse doesn’t really accept them; could this be the real issue?
In our ultra-materialistic world consumed with selfish ambition, its easy for anyone (male or female) to neglect those around them to pursue a narcissistic view of family, success, or fulfillment. And it's in that context where people aren’t willing to accept the faults, failures, or just differences of those associated with the image they hope to portray, even the closest person in their life – their spouse.
Probably seen best in 1 John 2:15-16, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father but are from this world.”
Believe it or not, a person’s marriage speaks volumes about their faith. How well does he recognize the needs of his wife? How well does she recognize the needs of her husband? Even if those needs don’t even register on their own radar. Paul stated a key to our influence, and it’s best seen in the marriage relationship. Philippians 2:3-4, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”
Our presentation of marriage to the public may be most recognizable by the use of our body language, which often shows other people whether or not there’s genuine respect for each other, an appreciation for each other, or if they’re accepted or not.
The world is hungry for acceptance, and God designed a unit that is the closest representation of our relationship with Him built within the concept of marriage. Christ is the groom, the church is His bride (Ephesians 5:22-30, Revelations 19:7-8, Matthew 25:1-13, Hosea); therefore, we should love Him with everything we have. When we do that (which happens to be part of the greatest command – Matthew 22:37-39), then our spouse will have the appropriate foundation for love and acceptance. Women, as much as men, fall into the trap of being lured away into worldly desires “that plunge them into ruin and destruction... [And those who long for them] have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
A Godly display of marriage is vital to a healthy image of the church. Therefore, we must see to it that we treat our spouse in a godly way, which will help the non-believer see how wonderful Christian relationship are.
At the root, sexual sin is about acceptance, which is a very important reason these kinds of sins are so appealing. There are many people living in marriages where either spouse doesn’t really accept them; could this be the real issue?
In our ultra-materialistic world consumed with selfish ambition, its easy for anyone (male or female) to neglect those around them to pursue a narcissistic view of family, success, or fulfillment. And it's in that context where people aren’t willing to accept the faults, failures, or just differences of those associated with the image they hope to portray, even the closest person in their life – their spouse.
Probably seen best in 1 John 2:15-16, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father but are from this world.”
Believe it or not, a person’s marriage speaks volumes about their faith. How well does he recognize the needs of his wife? How well does she recognize the needs of her husband? Even if those needs don’t even register on their own radar. Paul stated a key to our influence, and it’s best seen in the marriage relationship. Philippians 2:3-4, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”
Our presentation of marriage to the public may be most recognizable by the use of our body language, which often shows other people whether or not there’s genuine respect for each other, an appreciation for each other, or if they’re accepted or not.
The world is hungry for acceptance, and God designed a unit that is the closest representation of our relationship with Him built within the concept of marriage. Christ is the groom, the church is His bride (Ephesians 5:22-30, Revelations 19:7-8, Matthew 25:1-13, Hosea); therefore, we should love Him with everything we have. When we do that (which happens to be part of the greatest command – Matthew 22:37-39), then our spouse will have the appropriate foundation for love and acceptance. Women, as much as men, fall into the trap of being lured away into worldly desires “that plunge them into ruin and destruction... [And those who long for them] have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
A Godly display of marriage is vital to a healthy image of the church. Therefore, we must see to it that we treat our spouse in a godly way, which will help the non-believer see how wonderful Christian relationship are.
Sunday, February 3, 2019
God's Power Over Our Fears!
During the Great Depression, twenty-five percent of workers couldn’t find a job. Drought had ruined crops and farms. When people couldn’t afford to maintain their homes and livelihoods, they became homeless. During this time, fears became reality. In Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inaugural address, he said something that would become a famous reminder to all those facing fears: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
Fear can be paralyzing, and our fears aren’t easily shaken from our mind. Whatever the source of fear, when we let it overpower us, it becomes a prison without walls. But this is where God comes in to change the way we face our fears.
Many times our failures keep us from trusting in God’s successes. He has told us multiple times not to fear, to trust Him, and not to worry. Ultimately, God has shown us that our fears can actually be the place where we see God deliver on His promises most vividly.
God told Paul in response to his request to have the thorn in his flesh removed, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Paul realized God had been there beside him throughout all the many trials he’d experienced (2 Corinthians 11:22-33). That helped Paul understand “that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Nearly every story we read about in the Scriptures was in many ways a fearful event filled with uncertainties, dangers, death, rejection, etc. And yet it’s God’s presence in those tough times that become our biggest opportunity to share the good news with others going through trials.
Hebrews 2:14-15, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
We never want bad things to happen, but we know God has made eternal promises to help us get through them, and that’s news worth sharing!
Fear can be paralyzing, and our fears aren’t easily shaken from our mind. Whatever the source of fear, when we let it overpower us, it becomes a prison without walls. But this is where God comes in to change the way we face our fears.
Many times our failures keep us from trusting in God’s successes. He has told us multiple times not to fear, to trust Him, and not to worry. Ultimately, God has shown us that our fears can actually be the place where we see God deliver on His promises most vividly.
God told Paul in response to his request to have the thorn in his flesh removed, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Paul realized God had been there beside him throughout all the many trials he’d experienced (2 Corinthians 11:22-33). That helped Paul understand “that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Nearly every story we read about in the Scriptures was in many ways a fearful event filled with uncertainties, dangers, death, rejection, etc. And yet it’s God’s presence in those tough times that become our biggest opportunity to share the good news with others going through trials.
Hebrews 2:14-15, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
We never want bad things to happen, but we know God has made eternal promises to help us get through them, and that’s news worth sharing!
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Glory Days
Have you ever heard the statement come from your grandparents, “Back in my day…”? For most of us, we enjoy reminiscing about our “glory days,” when we were in our prime, or when life was still new and uncharted for us. Something changes, though. At some point, we no longer tend to look at life with the same level of excitement and optimism.
Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:10-11, “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, and profitable to those who see the sun.” The point is we have to recognize the opportunities of today, rather than the successes of yesterday. Learn from them (Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:6) – but don’t dwell on them.
Throughout scripture we’re reminded to “keep your father's command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart…” (Proverbs 6:20-22) Or other times, for example, in Proverbs 1:8, 3:1, 4:2; not to mention the instructions in Deuteronomy, Joshua, many of the prophets, and of course the New Testament. We can learn a lot from the previous generation. And the previous generation can learn a lot, and be reminded of a lot, by listening to the younger generations. Our more experienced brothers and sisters can us inspire and motivate the younger believers. And, in turn, the younger believers can encourage and uplift the more experienced followers.
There is never a time we cease learning about the will of God. In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon reminds us that there is "...a time to weep, and a time to laugh… A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones… A time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away… A time to keep silence, and a time to speak….” We have to evaluate our own role and determine when it’s the appropriate time to be the student rather than the teacher or be the teacher rather than the student. All of us have something to share that makes the body of Christ stronger and better equipped for service in His kingdom and for His glory.
Aim at making the statement from 3 John 4 true for you: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:10-11, “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, and profitable to those who see the sun.” The point is we have to recognize the opportunities of today, rather than the successes of yesterday. Learn from them (Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:6) – but don’t dwell on them.
Throughout scripture we’re reminded to “keep your father's command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart…” (Proverbs 6:20-22) Or other times, for example, in Proverbs 1:8, 3:1, 4:2; not to mention the instructions in Deuteronomy, Joshua, many of the prophets, and of course the New Testament. We can learn a lot from the previous generation. And the previous generation can learn a lot, and be reminded of a lot, by listening to the younger generations. Our more experienced brothers and sisters can us inspire and motivate the younger believers. And, in turn, the younger believers can encourage and uplift the more experienced followers.
There is never a time we cease learning about the will of God. In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon reminds us that there is "...a time to weep, and a time to laugh… A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones… A time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away… A time to keep silence, and a time to speak….” We have to evaluate our own role and determine when it’s the appropriate time to be the student rather than the teacher or be the teacher rather than the student. All of us have something to share that makes the body of Christ stronger and better equipped for service in His kingdom and for His glory.
Aim at making the statement from 3 John 4 true for you: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Heartfelt Faithfulness
Have you ever considered the significance of the word faithfulness? It’s definitely one of the key foundations to receiving God’s grace (Revelations 2:10, Matthew 24:13). It’s almost exclusively religious in our culture; used most often relating to worship or marriage. But what if God had a deeper meaning behind
the concept of faithfulness?
In the Hebrew culture, it is customary to recite the Shema, or a special prayer of commitment. It comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and Jesus used it to summarize the entire law and the prophets in Matthew 22:37-39. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Basically, we should long for God and have a deep desire for his closeness. But, like most cultures, we want these three words (heart, soul, mind) to signify totally different parts of our existence. While there is some significance that God would state three words that are used interchangeably throughout the Bible to refer to people, it can end up causing confusion if we try to make these three words only vaguely related.
Of these words, probably soul receives the most mystical explanation. In the English and Greek (and other places), the word soul refers to the immortal part of us to be released at death. But in the Hebrew, the word Nephesh (Soul) really means the throat, kind of referring to life; or the total person.
When the Israelites complained about not having the kinds of food they used to have in Egypt, they used that word, “but now our whole being (soul) is dried up” (Numbers 11:6). Probably more well-known would be Psalms 42, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul (life) for You…”
Faithfulness was never intended to describe an obligation, but instead its meant to describe our desire to want to stay committed, an understanding of what this relationship means to us which equates a longing to have it. This is why Abram was considered “righteous” (Genesis 15:6), because his life was thirsty for what God wanted to share with him. After all, he was willing to wait 25 years for a promised son, then he was willing to sacrifice him – all for this relationship with God, a promised blessing from the Creator.
The more we view faithfulness as a condition of our heart, rather than a successful accomplishment of certain actions, the more we begin to see why faithfulness is such a huge criteria for God welcoming us into His home. He wants us to want to be there, and our persistence, eagerness, and loyalty to Him shows it.
In part, the Good News, has shown us how to love - God’s way, which is perfect and good. Or as John says in 1 John 4:9-11, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
In the Hebrew culture, it is customary to recite the Shema, or a special prayer of commitment. It comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and Jesus used it to summarize the entire law and the prophets in Matthew 22:37-39. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Basically, we should long for God and have a deep desire for his closeness. But, like most cultures, we want these three words (heart, soul, mind) to signify totally different parts of our existence. While there is some significance that God would state three words that are used interchangeably throughout the Bible to refer to people, it can end up causing confusion if we try to make these three words only vaguely related.
Of these words, probably soul receives the most mystical explanation. In the English and Greek (and other places), the word soul refers to the immortal part of us to be released at death. But in the Hebrew, the word Nephesh (Soul) really means the throat, kind of referring to life; or the total person.
When the Israelites complained about not having the kinds of food they used to have in Egypt, they used that word, “but now our whole being (soul) is dried up” (Numbers 11:6). Probably more well-known would be Psalms 42, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul (life) for You…”
Faithfulness was never intended to describe an obligation, but instead its meant to describe our desire to want to stay committed, an understanding of what this relationship means to us which equates a longing to have it. This is why Abram was considered “righteous” (Genesis 15:6), because his life was thirsty for what God wanted to share with him. After all, he was willing to wait 25 years for a promised son, then he was willing to sacrifice him – all for this relationship with God, a promised blessing from the Creator.
The more we view faithfulness as a condition of our heart, rather than a successful accomplishment of certain actions, the more we begin to see why faithfulness is such a huge criteria for God welcoming us into His home. He wants us to want to be there, and our persistence, eagerness, and loyalty to Him shows it.
In part, the Good News, has shown us how to love - God’s way, which is perfect and good. Or as John says in 1 John 4:9-11, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
Sunday, January 13, 2019
How Do You Define Hope?
How do you define Hope? It’s a word that points towards the future, a word that can almost mentally lighten our load just thinking about the good things to come. It’s also a word that is illustrated and spoken about many times throughout the Scriptures.
From instances where God demonstrated His power to rescue and His promises to save, to messages from prophets reminding people of God’s words they had ignored or forgotten, to books of poetry that beautifully depict the blessings of hope. All of these point to God’s promises to make our life better than it is now. Or as 1 Corinthians 2:1-9 says as Paul reminds us of the wonderful mysteries of God that have been revealed through Jesus Christ and his willingness to give up the now because he trusted the later – God’s reward for faithfulness. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
David was a man “after God’s own heart,” and there is probably no better place to see his trust in God’s provisions and blessings than in the Psalms. The Psalms are praises to God, expressions of the raw human feelings about God’s guidance. Therefore, we can benefit a lot from reflecting on the Psalms as fuel for our hope.
Psalms 32:1-2, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
Psalms 33:18-19, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.”
Those encouragements from scripture have been a constant source of hope for those who study and meditate on them. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter shared this hope with a crowd that could have easily been labeled hopeless. After all, they had killed the Son of God. But instead, Peter offers hope. He says in Acts 2:25-28 (Psalms 16:8-11), “‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore, my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of joy in Your presence.’”
It was a prophecy about Christ, but for those who will trust in Christ, we too share in that same hope of resurrection (Philippians 3:10). The Word, which became flesh, brought hope because we now have a way to see past our own sin and guilt and shame and can reflect on the good things to come. “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him.” – John 14:6.
From instances where God demonstrated His power to rescue and His promises to save, to messages from prophets reminding people of God’s words they had ignored or forgotten, to books of poetry that beautifully depict the blessings of hope. All of these point to God’s promises to make our life better than it is now. Or as 1 Corinthians 2:1-9 says as Paul reminds us of the wonderful mysteries of God that have been revealed through Jesus Christ and his willingness to give up the now because he trusted the later – God’s reward for faithfulness. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
David was a man “after God’s own heart,” and there is probably no better place to see his trust in God’s provisions and blessings than in the Psalms. The Psalms are praises to God, expressions of the raw human feelings about God’s guidance. Therefore, we can benefit a lot from reflecting on the Psalms as fuel for our hope.
Psalms 32:1-2, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
Psalms 33:18-19, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.”
Those encouragements from scripture have been a constant source of hope for those who study and meditate on them. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter shared this hope with a crowd that could have easily been labeled hopeless. After all, they had killed the Son of God. But instead, Peter offers hope. He says in Acts 2:25-28 (Psalms 16:8-11), “‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore, my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of joy in Your presence.’”
It was a prophecy about Christ, but for those who will trust in Christ, we too share in that same hope of resurrection (Philippians 3:10). The Word, which became flesh, brought hope because we now have a way to see past our own sin and guilt and shame and can reflect on the good things to come. “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him.” – John 14:6.
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Who Is Your 2019 Personal Trainer?
“A new year for a new you.” We will probably hear all kinds of gimmicky statements for the next couple of weeks. And they are all geared to helping you improve on the things you just haven’t finished doing in life. I would imagine that most of us like the idea of being flawless and complete, but this side of heaven we must come to grip with the reality that – I’m NOT perfect!
Sometimes the reality of our faults and failures can zap all our energy to try to improve. After all, won’t this be just another failure in my list of failures? What’s it take to break free from that kind of thinking? For the most part – success! “Success breeds success” as the cliché goes. But this is where the vicious cycle begins…or does it?
For most of us, having a personal trainer would make all the difference between failure or success. It’s the one-on-one direction that makes the difference. The drawback is that the personal trainer probably doesn’t live in your house, or goes to work with you, or spends every waking hour reminding you of your goals. But what if you could have one that did just that? How would that change your story?
This is what God has in mind for us, and its been His plan from the beginning. For the Israelites, they were failing miserably at trying to turn over a new leaf. Around every corner was pagan idol worship, or even worse pride and greed. They got discouraged just like we can. And discouragement often leads to abandoning the plan because it's filled with hatred (towards our self perhaps), depression, frustration, worry, bitterness, etc.
But if we’ll listen to God’s “personal trainer” that He offers to live not just with us, but He invites him to live IN us, then we’ll begin to see success in a whole new way. God’s plan is designed to bring love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and even self-control! This is a life being lived under a new director; the Holy Spirit!
We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit the moment we begin to trust Jesus by following what He did, beginning with faith in who He is and obedient to His first action step by being baptized (Acts 2:38). The real challenge is trusting our new “coach,” advocate (John 14:16), helper (John 15:26), your guide (John 16:13). Because as Paul says in Romans 6:4, “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
All the great coaching in the world does no good if we don’t listen to it. Listening = trusting His plan to a new life; a life that He deemed “good” as He did with everything He created. It’s good because it works, therefore we can have confidence in His guidance. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6, “Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as [ministers/ promoters] of a new plan – not [a plan of the words and rules] but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
It takes trusting in God to the point that we don’t abandon our “temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16) but get in there and begin listening to His instructions that truly bring satisfaction to our lives. John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Sometimes the reality of our faults and failures can zap all our energy to try to improve. After all, won’t this be just another failure in my list of failures? What’s it take to break free from that kind of thinking? For the most part – success! “Success breeds success” as the cliché goes. But this is where the vicious cycle begins…or does it?
For most of us, having a personal trainer would make all the difference between failure or success. It’s the one-on-one direction that makes the difference. The drawback is that the personal trainer probably doesn’t live in your house, or goes to work with you, or spends every waking hour reminding you of your goals. But what if you could have one that did just that? How would that change your story?
This is what God has in mind for us, and its been His plan from the beginning. For the Israelites, they were failing miserably at trying to turn over a new leaf. Around every corner was pagan idol worship, or even worse pride and greed. They got discouraged just like we can. And discouragement often leads to abandoning the plan because it's filled with hatred (towards our self perhaps), depression, frustration, worry, bitterness, etc.
But if we’ll listen to God’s “personal trainer” that He offers to live not just with us, but He invites him to live IN us, then we’ll begin to see success in a whole new way. God’s plan is designed to bring love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and even self-control! This is a life being lived under a new director; the Holy Spirit!
We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit the moment we begin to trust Jesus by following what He did, beginning with faith in who He is and obedient to His first action step by being baptized (Acts 2:38). The real challenge is trusting our new “coach,” advocate (John 14:16), helper (John 15:26), your guide (John 16:13). Because as Paul says in Romans 6:4, “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
All the great coaching in the world does no good if we don’t listen to it. Listening = trusting His plan to a new life; a life that He deemed “good” as He did with everything He created. It’s good because it works, therefore we can have confidence in His guidance. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6, “Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as [ministers/ promoters] of a new plan – not [a plan of the words and rules] but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
It takes trusting in God to the point that we don’t abandon our “temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16) but get in there and begin listening to His instructions that truly bring satisfaction to our lives. John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Friday, December 21, 2018
Christmas Kindness
Years ago, some people would tie a string around their finger to serve as a reminder to do something. Nowadays, people add reminders on
their phone for things they need to do. Reminders are helpful, and we all need them occasionally. In fact, that’s basically what the Epistles served as for the congregations scattered around Asia Minor and Europe – reminders on how to live and conduct themselves.
In my house we have a sign that serves as a reminder; it says: Live fully, Create happiness, Speak kindly, Hug daily, Smile often, Laugh freely, Seek truth, Inspire change, Love deeply. All of these are both helpful and necessary for good relationships to continue to thrive.
Similarly, Santa Clause serves as a kind of mascot for generosity. Although there may be a lot of mystery or myth associated with Saint Nicholas, or Kris Kringle, or any of his other aliases, there is still something that he represents that is a helpful reminder to us. At the root of Godly generosity is kindness. It’s giving something to someone because you genuinely want to help out or express your love and care for them – not out of obligation or bragging about it.
Kindness is a huge theme throughout the Scriptures. From King David, who wanted to show kindness to Saul’s family, so he sought out Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson (2 Samuel 9), or to Tabitha, who was always doing good and helping the poor. (Acts 9:36-39). Kindness also is one of the identifying marks of living by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) that we should strive to model.
In Ephesians 2:6-7 Paul writes, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
God wants to show His kindness towards those who will trust in Him. Therefore, it's healthy for us to show that same kindness towards others, just as He said in John 13:34-35, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
This is a great time of year to reflect on the many reminders of generosity and kindness. And perhaps this can be a goal for all of us to carry the Christmas “spirit” into every day that we have left on his planet.
In my house we have a sign that serves as a reminder; it says: Live fully, Create happiness, Speak kindly, Hug daily, Smile often, Laugh freely, Seek truth, Inspire change, Love deeply. All of these are both helpful and necessary for good relationships to continue to thrive.
Similarly, Santa Clause serves as a kind of mascot for generosity. Although there may be a lot of mystery or myth associated with Saint Nicholas, or Kris Kringle, or any of his other aliases, there is still something that he represents that is a helpful reminder to us. At the root of Godly generosity is kindness. It’s giving something to someone because you genuinely want to help out or express your love and care for them – not out of obligation or bragging about it.
Kindness is a huge theme throughout the Scriptures. From King David, who wanted to show kindness to Saul’s family, so he sought out Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson (2 Samuel 9), or to Tabitha, who was always doing good and helping the poor. (Acts 9:36-39). Kindness also is one of the identifying marks of living by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) that we should strive to model.
In Ephesians 2:6-7 Paul writes, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
God wants to show His kindness towards those who will trust in Him. Therefore, it's healthy for us to show that same kindness towards others, just as He said in John 13:34-35, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
This is a great time of year to reflect on the many reminders of generosity and kindness. And perhaps this can be a goal for all of us to carry the Christmas “spirit” into every day that we have left on his planet.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Prosateurs 2018 Christmas Gift Catalog!
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Friday, December 14, 2018
Overcoming Evil
They say, “knowledge is power.” But sometimes it’s not good to have too much power. The 18th century historian, John Dalberg is best known for his quote, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely…” We read in Genesis 3 where Adam and Eve discovered how self-destructive the knowledge of evil can be.
When God created the earth, He built an infrastructure that could support human life. Everything from oxygen, to water, food sources, and even human relationships. But God had given a command that they should not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It’s hard to imagine what life would be like without any knowledge of good or evil.
They had seen God’s good creation, but perhaps they had never participated in doing “good” for one another. Jesus is quoted in Acts 20:35 that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Almost as if to say, there is something wonderful about doing good.
But the other side of that is that there is something awful about doing evil. Why is sin so attractive if it’s so awful? Time will answer that question best of all. In the meantime, most of us experience a lot of regrets and pain associated with poor decisions – things that God would categorize as “evil.”
God’s word helps us know how to deal with those feelings of disappointment within ourselves, as well as the feelings of guilt, depression, and grief that tend to accompany the choices of sin. This time of year, many people deal with all kinds of emotions; some good, but some bad. Although, not every bad, sad, or lonely feeling is the consequence of a sinful decision, they often have a similar solution.
It’s God’s intention that we would discover the beauty of turning to Him and His word for encouragement and support during the lowest times in our lives. Therefore, knowledge of Him actually serves as a powerful tool against the power of sin and death, as Paul states in the following passage:
Romans 6:1-11, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined Him in His death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be raised to life as He was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ, we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with Him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and He will never die again. Death no longer has any power over Him. When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God. So, you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” (NLT)
Just recognizing what hope Jesus brought to earth when he came to live, die, and overcome death. Who he is, and the love and grace he revealed to us is a powerful tool to help us overcome the woes of this world – during anytime of the year!
When God created the earth, He built an infrastructure that could support human life. Everything from oxygen, to water, food sources, and even human relationships. But God had given a command that they should not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It’s hard to imagine what life would be like without any knowledge of good or evil.
They had seen God’s good creation, but perhaps they had never participated in doing “good” for one another. Jesus is quoted in Acts 20:35 that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Almost as if to say, there is something wonderful about doing good.
But the other side of that is that there is something awful about doing evil. Why is sin so attractive if it’s so awful? Time will answer that question best of all. In the meantime, most of us experience a lot of regrets and pain associated with poor decisions – things that God would categorize as “evil.”
God’s word helps us know how to deal with those feelings of disappointment within ourselves, as well as the feelings of guilt, depression, and grief that tend to accompany the choices of sin. This time of year, many people deal with all kinds of emotions; some good, but some bad. Although, not every bad, sad, or lonely feeling is the consequence of a sinful decision, they often have a similar solution.
It’s God’s intention that we would discover the beauty of turning to Him and His word for encouragement and support during the lowest times in our lives. Therefore, knowledge of Him actually serves as a powerful tool against the power of sin and death, as Paul states in the following passage:
Romans 6:1-11, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined Him in His death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be raised to life as He was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ, we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with Him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and He will never die again. Death no longer has any power over Him. When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God. So, you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” (NLT)
Just recognizing what hope Jesus brought to earth when he came to live, die, and overcome death. Who he is, and the love and grace he revealed to us is a powerful tool to help us overcome the woes of this world – during anytime of the year!
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Who is this King of Glory?
An idiom is a statement that says something but using words that really won’t make sense without explanation. “The best of both worlds,” “Once in a blue moon,” “When pigs fly,” or “That costs an arm and a leg.” Most of us wouldn’t guess the meaning of these without some help. The same is true in most languages; in the German language they say, “You have tomatoes on your eyes.” It basically means you’re not seeing what everyone else can see.”
Or in Sweden, they say, “There’s no cow on the ice.” Which means there’s nothing to worry about. But what about scriptures? They are in there too. Things like: “kept in your word” (John 17:12), or “to walk in the Lord” (Col 2:6 - NASB). Some of these needs explaining; others don’t. But when it comes to the prophecies about Jesus… well, sometimes it’s not as obvious as we’d like them to be.
Jesus as a king, for instance. The people wanted Jesus to be their king (John 6:15), and just a week before his time had come to go to Jerusalem to die, we read in John 12:13, “[The people] took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” (which means save us), “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”, “Blessed is the king of Israel!” In spite of their recognizing him as a kind of king they’d want to rule Israel, they weren’t listening to his words. He’d been telling his followers quite often that he had to go to Jerusalem to die (Mark 8:31).
How obvious would it be to us? Consider this Psalm by David in Psalms 24 that talks in detail about this king that was coming to town.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty — he is the King of glory.”
Once Jesus had died, been buried, was resurrected, and had ascended into heaven, things began to make more sense the kind of kingdom he was ushering in. In Acts 2 we discover that the kingdom David spoke about wasn’t his own but a better kingdom, a kingdom of God. Take time to thank God for having a vision, and a plan of his kingdom regardless if we totally get it yet or not.
Or in Sweden, they say, “There’s no cow on the ice.” Which means there’s nothing to worry about. But what about scriptures? They are in there too. Things like: “kept in your word” (John 17:12), or “to walk in the Lord” (Col 2:6 - NASB). Some of these needs explaining; others don’t. But when it comes to the prophecies about Jesus… well, sometimes it’s not as obvious as we’d like them to be.
Jesus as a king, for instance. The people wanted Jesus to be their king (John 6:15), and just a week before his time had come to go to Jerusalem to die, we read in John 12:13, “[The people] took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” (which means save us), “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”, “Blessed is the king of Israel!” In spite of their recognizing him as a kind of king they’d want to rule Israel, they weren’t listening to his words. He’d been telling his followers quite often that he had to go to Jerusalem to die (Mark 8:31).
How obvious would it be to us? Consider this Psalm by David in Psalms 24 that talks in detail about this king that was coming to town.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty — he is the King of glory.”
Once Jesus had died, been buried, was resurrected, and had ascended into heaven, things began to make more sense the kind of kingdom he was ushering in. In Acts 2 we discover that the kingdom David spoke about wasn’t his own but a better kingdom, a kingdom of God. Take time to thank God for having a vision, and a plan of his kingdom regardless if we totally get it yet or not.
Friday, November 23, 2018
David and Jesus the Fugitive
Suffering seems to be an important part of Jesus’ coming to earth. Just as Jesus told his disciples in Luke 9:22, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
Oddly enough, His suffering would be part of the proof that He was the Messiah, although people didn’t grasp that as they studied the prophecies prior to Jesus’ resurrection and the establishment of the church. For instance, in Isaiah 53:3-5, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
This was the very scripture that the Ethiopian Eunuch was studying when Philip came alongside of him to share Christ with him. The man asked Philip, “Is he talking about Himself or someone else?” And we read in Acts 8:35, “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”
David also “suffered” a lot after his anointing but before he took the throne. (He would suffer after he inherited the kingdom, but that was primarily due to consequences he brought upon himself.) Before David reigned, King Saul sought to kill him.
It was during this dark time in his life that we read many of his Psalms written to express his fears and his frustrations. Psalms 28:1-2, “I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die. Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.”
Similarly, we read in Hebrews 5:7-9, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him….”
David, too, would express what he learned from the situations that forced him to rely on God. Psalms 27:11-13, “Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.”
The nation of Israel was surely thankful for David’s commitment to God during that time, because through his reign would be the new standard of a Godly king. In the same way, that we are glad for the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us (John 1).
Oddly enough, His suffering would be part of the proof that He was the Messiah, although people didn’t grasp that as they studied the prophecies prior to Jesus’ resurrection and the establishment of the church. For instance, in Isaiah 53:3-5, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
This was the very scripture that the Ethiopian Eunuch was studying when Philip came alongside of him to share Christ with him. The man asked Philip, “Is he talking about Himself or someone else?” And we read in Acts 8:35, “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”
David also “suffered” a lot after his anointing but before he took the throne. (He would suffer after he inherited the kingdom, but that was primarily due to consequences he brought upon himself.) Before David reigned, King Saul sought to kill him.
It was during this dark time in his life that we read many of his Psalms written to express his fears and his frustrations. Psalms 28:1-2, “I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die. Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.”
Similarly, we read in Hebrews 5:7-9, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him….”
David, too, would express what he learned from the situations that forced him to rely on God. Psalms 27:11-13, “Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.”
The nation of Israel was surely thankful for David’s commitment to God during that time, because through his reign would be the new standard of a Godly king. In the same way, that we are glad for the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us (John 1).
Friday, November 16, 2018
Understanding Jesus' Connections
Have your eyes ever glazed over when reading the genealogical records in the Bible? For the most part, it’s a list of names you can’t even begin to pronounce,
besides being somebody else’s family tree (which usually isn’t all that exciting to look at anyway).
God isn’t wanting to torture us by throwing large chunks of weird names at us for no reason. These names are designed to connect people with a family – Jesus’ family to be specific. But why is that important?
Matthew begins his Good News story with a list of names that show how Jesus connects with some of the biggest names in the Bible. Jesus didn’t appear out of nowhere, nor was His ministry completely new. It seemed new, but to those who realized His connections, He was the promised one of God, the rightful heir to the best king Israel ever had – David, the man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).
Paul makes it clear that Jesus’ relationship to David is essential to the story of the Gospel itself. Romans: 2-3, “…the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to His earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Some of the obvious connections are: they were both born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2, Luke 2), both shepherds (1 Samuel 17, John 10:14), and both would be the standard for the new kingdom.
1 Chronicles 22:10, “He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’”
Revelations 11:15, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”
But there are other similarities that all point to the fact that God was helping us get a glimpse of the kind of kingdom (and king) that He had in mind from the beginning. Hebrews 1:8-9, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
There is a constant reminder throughout the New Testament of the kingdom God has ushered in through Jesus. What a wonderful thing to be a citizen of His kingdom, an everlasting kingdom! So, just as the Israelites honored David’s legacy for generations after his reign, the church will honor Jesus' legacy for all eternity.
Acts 2:30-33, “[David] was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that He was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did His body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”
God isn’t wanting to torture us by throwing large chunks of weird names at us for no reason. These names are designed to connect people with a family – Jesus’ family to be specific. But why is that important?
Matthew begins his Good News story with a list of names that show how Jesus connects with some of the biggest names in the Bible. Jesus didn’t appear out of nowhere, nor was His ministry completely new. It seemed new, but to those who realized His connections, He was the promised one of God, the rightful heir to the best king Israel ever had – David, the man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).
Paul makes it clear that Jesus’ relationship to David is essential to the story of the Gospel itself. Romans: 2-3, “…the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to His earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Some of the obvious connections are: they were both born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2, Luke 2), both shepherds (1 Samuel 17, John 10:14), and both would be the standard for the new kingdom.
1 Chronicles 22:10, “He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’”
Revelations 11:15, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”
But there are other similarities that all point to the fact that God was helping us get a glimpse of the kind of kingdom (and king) that He had in mind from the beginning. Hebrews 1:8-9, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
There is a constant reminder throughout the New Testament of the kingdom God has ushered in through Jesus. What a wonderful thing to be a citizen of His kingdom, an everlasting kingdom! So, just as the Israelites honored David’s legacy for generations after his reign, the church will honor Jesus' legacy for all eternity.
Acts 2:30-33, “[David] was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that He was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did His body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”
Friday, November 9, 2018
The Power of the Passover
A special meal was inaugurated on the night before the nation of Israel would be freed from Egyptian slavery. It was a meal about a sacrificial lamb that would atone for their sins. It was to be eaten in a certain way and commemorated on a certain day of the year– it was Passover. Even though there were a lot of “rules” about eating this special meal, it served as a perpetual reminder of something to come. Basically, this meal represented HOPE.
The Passover was a high point in a typical Jewish family, and it served as an opportunity to explain how the God of Heaven, the Creator of the universe, saved His people who were in distress.
Exodus 12:24-27, “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as He promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians.’”
In time the Jews neglected this celebration, and by doing so, the story of Israel’s deliverance was virtually forgotten. They knew of God, but their lifestyle proved that they didn’t really know God. For instance, in the New Testament we read of a dispute between the religious leaders and Jesus over His identity and therefore His purpose. It's in this scene where the Pharisees reject Jesus' statement: (John 8:12) “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
In John 8:19 they ask, “Where is your father?” To which Jesus replies, “You do not know me or my Father, if you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
All the festivals and ceremonies God that instituted at the beginning were intended to help later generations to recognize God’s power and therefore have hope.
1 Peter 1:10-12 describes how the prophets searched the Scriptures to find the hope of salvation, but it wasn’t going to be revealed until Jesus life, death, burial, and resurrection.
In the Hebrew, the words used for HOPE are Yakhal (to wait for) and Qavah (tension/ a tight cord). Both words are used periodically throughout Scriptures illustrating waiting on God and the tension that comes with waiting.
We need hope to stay faithful. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” So, hope and faith fit well together, and we know from Hebrews 11:6 that “without faith it is impossible to please God, because whoever comes to him for salvation must believe that he is indeed God, the one able to save from sins, and that he righteously rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
God has left many nuggets of hope packed away in Scriptures that help us maintain hope, build our faith, or even begin having faith. The more we know the Scriptures, the better the story is seen and our opportunities to share our faith are more obvious.
The Passover was a high point in a typical Jewish family, and it served as an opportunity to explain how the God of Heaven, the Creator of the universe, saved His people who were in distress.
Exodus 12:24-27, “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as He promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians.’”
In time the Jews neglected this celebration, and by doing so, the story of Israel’s deliverance was virtually forgotten. They knew of God, but their lifestyle proved that they didn’t really know God. For instance, in the New Testament we read of a dispute between the religious leaders and Jesus over His identity and therefore His purpose. It's in this scene where the Pharisees reject Jesus' statement: (John 8:12) “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
In John 8:19 they ask, “Where is your father?” To which Jesus replies, “You do not know me or my Father, if you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
All the festivals and ceremonies God that instituted at the beginning were intended to help later generations to recognize God’s power and therefore have hope.
1 Peter 1:10-12 describes how the prophets searched the Scriptures to find the hope of salvation, but it wasn’t going to be revealed until Jesus life, death, burial, and resurrection.
In the Hebrew, the words used for HOPE are Yakhal (to wait for) and Qavah (tension/ a tight cord). Both words are used periodically throughout Scriptures illustrating waiting on God and the tension that comes with waiting.
We need hope to stay faithful. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” So, hope and faith fit well together, and we know from Hebrews 11:6 that “without faith it is impossible to please God, because whoever comes to him for salvation must believe that he is indeed God, the one able to save from sins, and that he righteously rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
God has left many nuggets of hope packed away in Scriptures that help us maintain hope, build our faith, or even begin having faith. The more we know the Scriptures, the better the story is seen and our opportunities to share our faith are more obvious.
Friday, November 2, 2018
Jesus & Self Esteem
Some psychologists suggest low self esteem is a contributor to many of the social disorders facing younger generations today.
Whether or not that’s completely true could be debated, but there is one thing to acknowledge – our image of self can alter how we
perform.
It’s said that to be a good athlete you have to be a little arrogant. I'm not advocating an unhealthy pride in our performance on any level, but there is some truth to that. While self-image impacts a lot of people’s life choices, we can realize that Jesus came to give us a new perspective on our own life.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
One person in particular in the congregation at Corinth was especially glad that his past wasn’t continuing to define his future – the man from 1 Corinthians 5. He had been involved in sexual immorality and had been rebuked and disciplined because of it (after prompting from Paul). But in 2 Corinthians 2:6-8, “The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”
The love Paul encouraged the congregation to show to the man after a period of time would be the compelling reason to not go back to that old lifestyle. Therefore, it could probably never be adequately expressed the importance of each of those members of the body of Christ in Corinth. Who were they? We don’t know, but he knew. They each contributed to his new self-image; something that had been buried under a load of sin and guilt, shame, and reproach. But Paul had reminded them, after the instruction for them to reprimand the man, in 1 Corinthians 6:11, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
2 Corinthians 1:4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
Each of us have a special design in God’s kingdom to do. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14, “acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
It’s said that to be a good athlete you have to be a little arrogant. I'm not advocating an unhealthy pride in our performance on any level, but there is some truth to that. While self-image impacts a lot of people’s life choices, we can realize that Jesus came to give us a new perspective on our own life.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
One person in particular in the congregation at Corinth was especially glad that his past wasn’t continuing to define his future – the man from 1 Corinthians 5. He had been involved in sexual immorality and had been rebuked and disciplined because of it (after prompting from Paul). But in 2 Corinthians 2:6-8, “The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”
The love Paul encouraged the congregation to show to the man after a period of time would be the compelling reason to not go back to that old lifestyle. Therefore, it could probably never be adequately expressed the importance of each of those members of the body of Christ in Corinth. Who were they? We don’t know, but he knew. They each contributed to his new self-image; something that had been buried under a load of sin and guilt, shame, and reproach. But Paul had reminded them, after the instruction for them to reprimand the man, in 1 Corinthians 6:11, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
2 Corinthians 1:4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
Each of us have a special design in God’s kingdom to do. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14, “acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
Sunday, October 28, 2018
The Yoke
Whether you’re a farm person or not, we’ve probably all heard the verse in Matthew 11:28-30, “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.”
“Take my yoke upon you” has many implications, like learning from Jesus by bringing our passions and desires under control against the
immoral and ungodly things of the world.
The yoke that draws us towards godly living can seem oppressive to the spiritually immature, but Jesus says the yoke is easy. The yoke is easy because it brings none of the guilt and suffering that comes with worldly, immoral actions. The yoke also forces us to recognize how often we want to fight against God’s ways. The phrase “stubborn hearts” is often used to describe people who fight against his will, kind of like the folks Jesus addressed in Mark 3. Jesus had called attention to the withered hand of a man in the synagogue, but the people were ready to condemn Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. Most of us tend have flare-ups with a stubborn heart that wants to resist the power of God, perhaps because of our traditions (in their case) or our interpretations of Scripture, or maybe just the fact that living for Christ can be a little uncomfortable. After all, when we think of what a yoke is used for it reminds us of a naughty word… work. But, it is more of an instrument of discipline rather than work. Therefore, the yoke that Jesus gives us becomes a powerful guide for our thoughts and actions. And by wearing it, we submit to his reconditioning of our nature to be like his. Hebrews 12:11, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Likewise, in time we should be open to see God at work in our lives and in others as well.
The yoke allows us to see things through the eyes of Jesus. That vision makes us concerned for a lost, sinful world, but it also puts a burden on us to care for the needs of other human beings. The yoke of Jesus is all about heart and mind. It helps shape us in the image of Jesus so that we become meek and gentle in all our dealings. It helps us bring every thought and every action under the control of Jesus. It helps us love spiritual things more than we love the world. When we first put on the yoke, it is strangely uncomfortable and disturbing. But as time passes it begins to feel natural until it eventually seems to be a part of us that we could not function without.
The yoke of Jesus is never forced on us; we have to make the decision to put it on. That decision is the first step to surrendering our will, our control to God’s higher power. Way too often, we choose not to accept the yoke Jesus offers because we’re already yoked up to the world. Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and the Devil? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” Consider His yoke as the guiding and supporting arms of a loving father leading you to the place that’s best for you.
The yoke that draws us towards godly living can seem oppressive to the spiritually immature, but Jesus says the yoke is easy. The yoke is easy because it brings none of the guilt and suffering that comes with worldly, immoral actions. The yoke also forces us to recognize how often we want to fight against God’s ways. The phrase “stubborn hearts” is often used to describe people who fight against his will, kind of like the folks Jesus addressed in Mark 3. Jesus had called attention to the withered hand of a man in the synagogue, but the people were ready to condemn Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. Most of us tend have flare-ups with a stubborn heart that wants to resist the power of God, perhaps because of our traditions (in their case) or our interpretations of Scripture, or maybe just the fact that living for Christ can be a little uncomfortable. After all, when we think of what a yoke is used for it reminds us of a naughty word… work. But, it is more of an instrument of discipline rather than work. Therefore, the yoke that Jesus gives us becomes a powerful guide for our thoughts and actions. And by wearing it, we submit to his reconditioning of our nature to be like his. Hebrews 12:11, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Likewise, in time we should be open to see God at work in our lives and in others as well.
The yoke allows us to see things through the eyes of Jesus. That vision makes us concerned for a lost, sinful world, but it also puts a burden on us to care for the needs of other human beings. The yoke of Jesus is all about heart and mind. It helps shape us in the image of Jesus so that we become meek and gentle in all our dealings. It helps us bring every thought and every action under the control of Jesus. It helps us love spiritual things more than we love the world. When we first put on the yoke, it is strangely uncomfortable and disturbing. But as time passes it begins to feel natural until it eventually seems to be a part of us that we could not function without.
The yoke of Jesus is never forced on us; we have to make the decision to put it on. That decision is the first step to surrendering our will, our control to God’s higher power. Way too often, we choose not to accept the yoke Jesus offers because we’re already yoked up to the world. Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and the Devil? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” Consider His yoke as the guiding and supporting arms of a loving father leading you to the place that’s best for you.
Friday, October 19, 2018
The Good Old Days
There’s something about the “good old days” that is comforting. Perhaps it's just because those days connect you with your earliest
memories of life. Or maybe those days represent your prime and your glory days. Either way, it makes sense that the “good old days”
often thought about with favor.
After all, every moment of our past has served as a single brick to build the lives we all live today, so they’re important. Looking back on the past allows us to learn from the successes and failures of others. Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
But it’s important not look too much into the past or keep your mind there for too long. You can easily get trapped there--whether it’s a traumatic experience, a life of sin and selfishness, or simply forgetting to see what’s in front of you now. Paul realized that about himself, as he said in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
It’s been said there are four main reasons that are worth diverting some of our present day focus toward our past.
1) To see how far you’ve come. Sometimes seeing any amounts of progress can encourage us to keep fighting the good fight. 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 describes how their faithfulness through their trials has helped others stay faithful.
2. Helps us to be more empathetic towards people experiencing their own setbacks. Just as Jesus challenged those willing to stone the woman caught in adultery by asking, “He who is without sin should throw the first stone” (John 8:7). That would’ve been humbling.
3. Our memories are our source of Thanksgiving. Ephesians 1:16, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Or 1 Thessalonians 1:3, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, [and] your labor prompted by love….”
4. To remind yourself of your mission. There are countless distractions on the high road to heaven, and if we’re not careful, we can be lured in the trap of worry instead of trust. Matthew 13:22, “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.”
Hopefully we can appreciate our past without getting stuck in it so that we can’t live for the future. The Jews got hung up on their past and it kept many of them from seeing Jesus as the Messiah, the promised one of God. Our love of our past never needs to blind us from seeing God’s future.
After all, every moment of our past has served as a single brick to build the lives we all live today, so they’re important. Looking back on the past allows us to learn from the successes and failures of others. Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
But it’s important not look too much into the past or keep your mind there for too long. You can easily get trapped there--whether it’s a traumatic experience, a life of sin and selfishness, or simply forgetting to see what’s in front of you now. Paul realized that about himself, as he said in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
It’s been said there are four main reasons that are worth diverting some of our present day focus toward our past.
1) To see how far you’ve come. Sometimes seeing any amounts of progress can encourage us to keep fighting the good fight. 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 describes how their faithfulness through their trials has helped others stay faithful.
2. Helps us to be more empathetic towards people experiencing their own setbacks. Just as Jesus challenged those willing to stone the woman caught in adultery by asking, “He who is without sin should throw the first stone” (John 8:7). That would’ve been humbling.
3. Our memories are our source of Thanksgiving. Ephesians 1:16, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Or 1 Thessalonians 1:3, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, [and] your labor prompted by love….”
4. To remind yourself of your mission. There are countless distractions on the high road to heaven, and if we’re not careful, we can be lured in the trap of worry instead of trust. Matthew 13:22, “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.”
Hopefully we can appreciate our past without getting stuck in it so that we can’t live for the future. The Jews got hung up on their past and it kept many of them from seeing Jesus as the Messiah, the promised one of God. Our love of our past never needs to blind us from seeing God’s future.