tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86818572161647226372024-03-15T20:10:44.770-05:00Dave's Random RamblingsReflections on the journey of faith.Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.comBlogger740125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-61828035069934517352024-03-05T09:28:00.004-06:002024-03-05T09:28:55.940-06:00JESUS’ UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD<p style="text-align: center;"> M<span style="text-align: center;">atthew 5:5 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Recently
I was reminded of the biblical truth that God uses the weak things of the world
to confound the strong. On the surface, this doesn’t look possible. It seems
that those who are strong, from a worldly point of view, are the ones who win.
If I may be bold, it seems like the bullies are the ones who get what they want
and the rest of us just have to accept it. But I was reminded that God has a different
economy and that those who play by His rules will ultimately win. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Bible Project is doing a year-long, intensive study in the Sermon on the Mount.
The first part of their study has been focused on the Beatitudes. In the Beatitudes,
Jesus turned the world upside-down. He told the marinized, the powerless, and
the forgotten that in God’s world they are the winners. This was true not
because they were going to turn the tables on the bullies of their day. Instead,
as they began to live out Kingdom values, they would transform their world. The
first step to this radical transformation was to recognize their need and to
turn to the only one who could meet that need. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Apostle John put it this way. <b>"For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not
believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has
come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their
deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into
the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the
truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has
done has been done through God."</b> John 3:16-21 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Those
who refuse to acknowledge who Jesus is and turn toward Him will continue to
live in darkness. But those who turn toward Jesus in faith will live a new life
in the light of God. Their entire world will be transformed. They will be given
a strength that comes, not from themselves, but from God. This new strength
will actually give them the upper hand in the world. It doesn’t mean that they
will not have troubles, but that they will face those troubles with confidence
and courage. As Jesus said, <b>"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."</b> John 16:33 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
picked up on this idea in his letter to the church at Corinth. They were
struggling with the idea of power and influence. They were tempted to fall back
into the old power struggles of their old life. Paul reminded them that the
Kingdom of God works differently. God’s power is revealed not in our human
strength, but in our human weakness. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>Brothers,
think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human
standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God
chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak
things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this
world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the
things that are, so that no one may boast before him</b>. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
(NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There is
no doubt that we are in a spiritual battle, with very physical manifestations.
But we cannot give in to the temptation to fight fire with fire, so to speak.
We have been called to wage a very different kind of battle, one that relies
totally on the power of God. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he
again had to address the issue of power. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>By
the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am
"timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away! I
beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward
some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though
we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we
fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine
power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that
sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ</b>. 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, those listening must have felt that
what Jesus said was unrealistic and too good to be true. Yet the early church
turned its world upside-down and eventually transformed the culture of the day.
It seems like the things of the world are winning the day today. The words of
Jesus seem unrealistic in our caustic and combative world. But as I was
reminded recently, God often uses the weak to confound the strong. He stands
against the proud and the arrogant and He will bring them down. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meekness
is not weakness. Meekness is strength under control. The truly meek person
understands that their strength comes from God. They can stand firm even in
difficult situations and trust God to empower them. When we play by Jesus’
rules, we too can turn our world upside-down. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>But
we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is
from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but
not destroyed. <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Therefore we do not lose
heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed
day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an
eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is
seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen
is eternal</b>. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, 16-18 (NIV)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-11793278229474880322024-03-01T15:46:00.003-06:002024-03-01T15:46:32.732-06:00WHEN YOU FEEL INVISIBLE<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">John 10:3</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The watchman opens the gate for him, and
the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them
out</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I do
not presume that everyone has had this experience, but it is one that many of
us can relate to. It is the feeling of being invisible, unseen, unacknowledged.
I have experienced this feeling in several different ways throughout my life. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I
was a boy at school, I often felt invisible to my classmates. I often felt like
an outsider looking in. When I got to jr. high I intentionally tried to be
invisible to certain people, i.e. the class bullies. At the same time, I felt
invisible to the students who coursed around me. In high school, I was actively
involved in choir. Each year our school would put on a musical. Each year I would
audition and each year I would be placed in the choir. Both my older and
younger brothers had been given speaking roles at different times. This made me
feel even more invisible when I was denied the same experience. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
have been many times in ministry when I have felt invisible. When I have
watched colleagues of mine recognized for their ministry efforts, I often felt
left out. Out of curiosity, I recently looked up how old Rick Warren and Max
Lucado are. They are both my age. When I look at what they have accomplished, I
think, what happened to me? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
have been many times when I have attended a gathering of pastors and ministry
leaders when I have felt invisible in the crowd. I have never been the kind of
person who can command a room. I have often found myself hanging out on the
fringes of the crowd, sometimes even hiding in the shadows. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Why do
I bring all of this up? It was prompted by a TV show we have been watching lately
called MONK. It is the story of a brilliant detective who is plagued by countless
obsessions and a low self-esteem. Recently, the episode we watched had several
flashbacks to when Mr. Monk was in jr. high. As I watched his experience, I
found myself transported back to my own experience. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You can
write off my ramblings as venting or complaining or even feeling sorry for
myself, and you may be right. But that does not negate the genuine feeling of
being invisible. It is a real experience and many people live in those feelings
every day of their lives. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
danger for those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus is that we may begin
to feel that we are invisible to God. God seems to care about other people, but
we feel left out. If you have ever felt that way, welcome to the club. It is
essential that we recognize our feeling of invisibility and counter it with the
reality of our relationship with Christ. We are never invisible to Him. We are
never insignificant to Him. And what we do in His name is always noticed by
Him, whether or not anyone else pays attention. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of
my favorite Psalms is Psalm 139. David may have been feeling invisible when he
wrote this psalm, but he took his feelings and aligned them with the reality of
who God is. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">Psalm 139:1-12<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">For the director
of music. Of David. A psalm.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>O Lord, you
have searched me</b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>and you know
me.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>You know
when I sit and when I rise;<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>you perceive my
thoughts from afar.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>You discern
my going out and my lying down;<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>you are
familiar with all my ways.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Before a
word is on my tongue<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>you know it
completely, O Lord.</b><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>You hem me
in--behind and before;<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>you have laid
your hand upon me.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me,<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>too lofty for
me to attain.</b><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Where can I
go from your Spirit?<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Where can I
flee from your presence?<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>If I go up
to the heavens, you are there;<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>if I make my
bed in the depths, you are there.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>If I rise
on the wings of the dawn,<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>if I settle on
the far side of the sea,<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>even there
your hand will guide me,<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>your right hand
will hold me fast.</b><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>If I say,
"Surely the darkness will hide me<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>and the light
become night around me,"<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>even the
darkness will not be dark to you;<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>the night will
shine like the day,<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>for darkness is
as light to you.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> When we
feel invisible, we need to come back to this Psalm and be reminded that we are
never invisible to God. God is watching with keen interest what is going on in
our lives. God is watching with love and compassion, desiring for us to
experience His unbounded care. God is watching and He delights in us.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Years ago,
I made a conscious choice to let go of the comparison game. I decided that all
that really mattered was what God thinks about me. I do not have to compete
with others to feel valued and appreciated, because the creator of the universe
has shown His light of love into my life. In the end, the only opinion that
will really matter is His. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Matthew 25:21 <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"His master replied, 'Well done, good
and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you
in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-90895861211542837452024-02-20T09:43:00.003-06:002024-02-20T09:43:42.023-06:00CAN I BE HONEST?<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Psalms 6:3 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you
were angry at God, would you tell him? If you were frustrated with God, would
you express your feelings honestly? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have
been reading Tim Keller’s book on prayer and this morning I read a section about
intercession. Most often, much of the content of our prayers falls into this category.
We ask God for things we need or want. We pray for others, asking for healing
or a job or the reconciliation of a relationship. All of these things are
acceptable. Jesus invites us to make our requests to God. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Keller
points out that there is an aspect of intercession that we often omit;
complaint. Not only are we uncomfortable with complaining to God, we feel it is
inappropriate. We have been taught to pray in the most positive terms possible,
even when we feel anything but positive. We are afraid God will be angry with
us if we express our doubts, frustrations, and anger. Yet, God already knows
all about these feelings. Still, we find it hard to express them directly to
God, even though we might verbalize them to others. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
book of Psalms, there are at least 42 Psalms of lament. King David, in
particular, was not afraid to express his deepest emotions to God in prayer.
What we often miss as we read the Psalms is that they were intended to be used
in public worship. These were not just the private musing of David and others.
These were to be sung as a corporate act of worship. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Psalms can teach us much about expressing our emotions honestly before God. The
first thing that we must grasp is that it is okay! God is not threatened by our
complaints. God is not put off when we express anger or frustration. God’s love
for us is not diminished in any way when we are openly honest with Him. We know
that in a human relationship, trying to hide our anger or frustration is
destructive. As hard as it is at times to be honest with our emotions, it is
the only way to really deal with them. Once they are out in the open, we can
address the root cause and move forward. What is true in our relationships with
others is true in our relationship with God. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Not only
is it okay for us to express our emotions before God, He invites us to do just
that. God wants us to be honest with Him about how we feel, even if those
emotions are negative. By expressing our deep emotions to God, we open the door
for God to answer our complaints. In the process, we can gain a better
understanding of why we feel the way we do. We can begin to put our emotions
into perspective. In the vast majority of lament Psalms the author ends with a
new or clearer understanding of who God is and that He can be trusted. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Somewhere
along the line I was taught that the only question that God will not answer is
the question why. I think that this is only partially true. Some of the
ultimate questions, such as why God allowed a certain tragedy to occur, will
probably remain a mystery to us. But on the other hand, there are many
occasions when God is more than ready to answer our why questions. When we ask
why we feel a certain way or act in a certain way, God will lead us to
understand more about who we are and the motives that are hidden even from us. Not
only will God give us a better understanding of ourselves, He will also give us
a deeper understanding of who He is. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In 2
Corinthians, Paul relates his struggle with what he called his thorn in the
flesh. Three times he prayed and asked God to take it away, but God did not.
Then, in an implied why question, God revealed to Paul that He would give Paul
the strength and the grace to endure his affliction. God had not abandoned
Paul, but was calling Paul to a deeper level of trust and reliance upon God. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we
have the courage to honestly express our emotions to God, we open the door for
God to do a work in our lives that goes far deeper than the presenting issues.
God is in the process of shaping our character so that we might be transformed
into the image of Christ. That journey often leads us through some dark valleys
where it is hard for us to see the light. As we openly express what we are
feeling, we invite God to shine His light into our situation. Like Paul, God is
calling us to learn to trust Him at a much deeper level. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On
Sunday, we sung the hymn, It Is Well with My Soul. It is a powerful and
challenging hymn that encourages us to rest in the loving arms of Jesus even
when our world seems to be in chaos. But before we can truly rest in Jesus’
loving arms, we need to be honest with ourselves and with God that from our
perspective it does not feel like it is well with my soul. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
book of Job, Job openly complains to God about his situation. God never let’s
Job in on the secret behind why all this was happening to him. But in the end,
God calls Job a righteous person. Job was honest with God and God honored him
for it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Job and
the Psalms teach us that God wants us to honestly express our emotions to Him.
By releasing our anger and frustration to God we open the door for God to
replace them with His peace and assurance. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Psalms 42:11 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope
in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-22628784853579382232024-02-13T09:39:00.000-06:002024-02-13T09:39:24.386-06:00IS GOD AN EGOTIST?<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Psalms 103:1 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In my
devotions I have been reading Tim Kellers book on prayer. Today, I read about
the role of praise to God in our prayers. Keller makes the point that our
prayers should begin with praise of God, in order to put everything else into
perspective.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Praise
and worship of God is at the center of our faith. We gather on Sundays to give
God praise. It is at the very core of what it means to be a community of faith.
50 times in the Psalms we are either commanded or encouraged to praise God. Keller
raises the question, why should we praise God? Does God need our praise? Is God
an egotist? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To answer
that question, Keller turns to C.S. Lewis for help. Lewis struggled with the
idea of praise and worship when he first became a believer. As he put it, we
look down on the person who is constantly looking for the praise of others, the
person who needs accolades to feel good about themselves. If this is an
undesirable characteristic among people, why are we commanded to give praise to
God?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As Lewis
contemplated this question, he realized that he had missed on important
component of praise. Generally, in life, we praise those things that we value
the most. We also praise those things that bring us pleasure. We praise a beautiful
sunset. We praise a masterful piece of art. We praise a stirring piece of
music. We praise a well-played performance. We also praise the people we love
and the things we love. Praise comes naturally to us. It is our normal response
to things that move us in some way. We can’t help it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
there is another aspect that takes praise even deeper. Our praise actually
heightens and completes our experience. Our satisfaction and delight are
increased when we genuinely praise something. Suanne and I had the privilege of
seeing a Broadway production of Aladdin recently. That was several weeks ago,
yet even last night I praised the performance to our son. In a way, our praise
allows us to enter back into the experience. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
experienced the flip side of this years ago as I drove to a meeting in northern
Minnesota. I was driving at night out in the country. It was very dark. Then
the sky erupted with the northern lights. It was one of the most amazing things
I had ever seen. Yet there was no one with me. I wanted to share the
experience, to describe it, to praise it, yet I could not. It was so
frustrating. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lewis
and Keller make the point that God invites us to praise Him, not because He
needs it, but because we do. Our experience of God is enhanced by praise. Our
appreciation of God is deepened through praise. Our love for God is expanded in
praise. Our commitment to God is solidified in praise. The more we understand
who God is and what He has done for us, our natural response is to give Him
praise. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of
the reasons we may have trouble with giving praise to God is that we have been
programmed to find fault rather than give praise. We hear far more criticism in
our everyday lives than praise. Excellence is expected as the norm. Anything
less is called out. Even within the church we are hesitant to give praise. I knew a man who refused to praise his children because he felt it fostered pride. I
really struggled with that as a child. Somehow, I got the idea in my head that
to receive praise for something that I had done was prideful and therefore
wrong. Jesus’ statements in the Sermon on the Mount about the Pharisees seeking
the praise of men haunted me. (Matthew 6:1-18) I often hid my talents under a
basket, rather than let them shine, because I was afraid God would be
displeased and I would lose my reward. When I did let them shine, I felt
guilty. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>God has
called us to praise Him for our own benefit. When we genuinely praise God, we
can also praise other things with genuineness. When we recognize God as the
author of all that is good and right and praiseworthy in the world, then
responding in praise is the correct response. We can fully enter into and enjoy
the experiences of life without fear or regret. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>God is
the ultimate master artist, inventor, creator, designer, musician. When we
praise the things He has created, we give Him glory. We can both praise the “performance”
and celebrate the author of the play. Praise is a gift that God has given to us
so that we might more fully experience the good gifts He has given to us. God
deserves our praise because there is nothing greater than Him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Psalms 103:2 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-57032157672704395172024-02-06T09:27:00.000-06:002024-02-06T09:27:06.737-06:00FINISHING WELL<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">1 Corinthians 9:27
(NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to
others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In my
devotions I have been working my way through 1&2 Chronicles. One of the
things that stood out to me as I came to the end of 2 Chronicles is how many
kings of Judah started their reign well, following the Lord, but ended poorly. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
example is King Joash. He became the king of Judah at the age of seven. He
reigned for 40 years. For the first half of his reign, he was guided by Jehoiada
the priest. Under the watchful eye of Jehoiada, Joash restored the Temple and genuine
worship to God. But after Jehoiada died, Joash began listening to other voices.
He turned away from the Lord and did evil in God’s sight. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
must have been thinking about the history of the kings of Judah when he penned
the words in 1 Corinthians 9. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1 Corinthians 9:24-27
(NIV) <br />
<b>Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the
prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the
games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last;
but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like
a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat
my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself
will not be disqualified for the prize</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
knew all too well that it was possible to run a good race and stumble at the
end. He challenged the Corinthians to keep their focus and to not give up the
race. Paul set the example by the way he lived his life. He was not cocky or
complacent. He was determined to run the race to the very end, to the best of
his ability. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of
the sad aspects of the church in America today is how many prominent Christian
leaders have failed near the end of their race. Many of them had long,
successful ministries. Many people were blessed by them and many came into the
Kingdom through them. Yet, at some point they took their eyes off of the goal
and failed to finish strong. Like Joash, they began listening to the wrong voices
and the outcome was spiritual failure. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I know
that through Christ we can never fall out of God’s grace. But we can forfeit
the prize and hinder the cause of Christ by our actions, if we are not careful.
Satan is always on the lookout for new ways to trip us up. He knows where we
are weak and vulnerable even better than we do. Nothing gives him more pleasure
than to cause a believer to stumble and fall. Therefore, we need to always be
on our guard. None of us are exempt from or immune to temptation. Daily we need
to be aware of what is going on within us, not just what is going one around
us. Often Satan uses external circumstances to blind us to his spiritual
attacks. Peter reminds us that we must be vigilant at all times. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion looking for someone to devour</b>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
often used running a race as an illustration for the Christ life. As I look
back over my life and my ministry, I realize that it has been a series of races
embedded in one long spiritual marathon. I have run some of those races well
and others not so well. Each race matters. I still have some races to run
before me. My greatest desire is to run them in such a way that at the end I
will not be disqualified for the prize. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let
us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and
let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on
Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him
endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so
that you will not grow weary and lose heart</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-44621735156431841732024-01-30T09:18:00.000-06:002024-01-30T09:18:20.262-06:00COMING TO GRIPS WITH LEGALISM<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Romans 2:1 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for
at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you
who pass judgment do the same things</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am a
recovering legalist. I say recovering because I am keenly aware that I have not
conquered this flaw in my life. I was reminded of this as I drove into my
office this morning. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have a
45-minute commute between my home and the church where I am serving currently. Often
those are the most frustrating 45 minutes of my day. When I get on the freeway,
I pull into the righthand lane and set my cruise control at 70 mph. Before long
someone comes whizzing by me at a speed considerably greater than the speed
limit. This does not happen once, but multiple times on my commute. Not only do
I encounter people exceeding the speed limit, but I also have noticed an
alarming number of people who are using their cell phones while they are
speeding past me, even though it is against the law. We have had some bad
weather lately; fog, snow, rain, low visibility. On one commute during these conditions,
I counted over 20 cars without their headlights on. All these things, and a few
more, cause me to be frustrated. I often make audible comments to my fellow
commuters, which of course they cannot hear. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One day
God tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that I was being a legalist. Have
you never exceeded the speed limit? Have you never been distracted while you
were driving? Have you never cut someone off unintentionally? Have you never
failed to yield to another driver? Have you never forgotten to turn on your
headlights? The obvious answer to all of these questions is no. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I grew
up a legalist. No one formally taught me to be a legalist, I just picked it up
on my own. Somehow, I fell into the trap of works righteousness. I felt that I
had to keep all the rules for God to accept me. I worked hard to be a rule
keeper and routinely beat myself up when I failed. But I did something else as
well. I started applying the rules, as I saw them, to others. I began judging
others by how well they kept the rules. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have
worked hard to break free from this trap. I have learned to accept God’s grace
and recognize that there is nothing I can do to earn it. I have become more
gracious with others when they see theological issues differently than I do. I
have learned to extend grace to others more freely. But I still have a long way
to go. My daily commute is a daily reminder that I have not arrived. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
addressed this same issue with some of the people in the church at Rome. In
Romans 1, Paul outlined the state of his fallen world. He painted a pretty
bleak picture. There were those in the church who were probably applauding Paul’s
words. They were standing in line to be some of the first to cast stones at
those evil doers. Then Paul turned the tables on them. He challenged them to
look in the mirror. What right did they have to judge others when they were
doing the same things? I don’t think that Paul was saying that they were
engaged in the evil acts he had just outlined, but that they were sinning in
other ways. They were really no different. They had missed the point that no
one can earn God’s favor by keeping the Law. It is totally a free gift of His
grace. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Romans 2:2-4 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on
truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same
things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt
for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that
God's kindness leads you toward repentance?</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There is
no doubt that God is concerned about sin. But it is not my job to be the
accuser of others. I have enough sin of my own to account for. Praise God that
He is gracious and that if we come to Him in genuine repentance, He will
forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>God has
been teaching me to be less judgmental and more gracious toward others. I have
made significant progress, but I have not arrived. I am reminded every time I get
on the freeway. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge
others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured
to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay
no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother,
'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in
your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then
you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-17375906045328920902024-01-23T09:49:00.000-06:002024-01-23T09:49:02.823-06:00WHAT’S YOUR DESTINATION<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Hebrews 11:8-10 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his
inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By
faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign
country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of
the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and builder is God</b>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have
been rereading Tim Keller’s book on prayer. Early in the book he talks about
prayer as an act of pilgrimage, seeking after God. I was struck by the idea of
a pilgrimage. It is not a part of my faith tradition, but I am familiar with
the concept. I looked up pilgrimage on the internet and found this definition
from the encyclopedia Britannica. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pilgrimage, a
journey undertaken for a religious motive. Although some pilgrims have wandered
continuously with no fixed destination, pilgrims more commonly seek a specific
place that has been sanctified by association with a divinity or other holy
personage. The institution of pilgrimage is evident in all world religions and
was also important in the pagan religions of ancient Greece and Rome.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All kinds
of people take pilgrimages for a variety of reasons. Muslims make a concerted
effort to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Many
Roman Catholics make a pilgrimage to Rome. Many Christians make a pilgrimage to
the Holy Land in an effort to get closer to the places where Jesus walked.
Other religions encourage pilgrimages as well. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
problem with all of these different pilgrimages is that they fall short of the
goal. It is not that they are bad, necessarily, just that they are short-sighted.
The writer of Hebrews talks about a very different kind of pilgrimage. He first
refers to Abraham, who in faith obeyed God and followed Him to a land he did
not know. Then he expands this idea to include a broader scope of people. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Hebrews 11:13-16
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not
receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a
distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People
who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If
they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had
opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a
heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has
prepared a city for them</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul and
Peter both pick up on this idea of the ultimate pilgrimage. Peter challenges us
to live as aliens ands stranger in this world, refusing to settle down and make
our home here. We have been called to something far higher and far greater. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1 Peter 2:9-11 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are
the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received
mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to
abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
challenges us to focus on the kingdom to come rather than the kingdom of this
world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Philippians 3:20-21
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything
under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like
his glorious body</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A friend
of mine recently reminded me of song we used to sing quite often, <u>This World
is not My Home</u>. <i>“This world is not my home, I just passing through. My
treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from
Heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”</i> We are
on a journey to a specific destination, where we will be with Christ in His
glory. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Many
people use the idea of being on a journey to describe our lives. It is a
powerful image, but it is possible to be on a journey that takes us nowhere. A
pilgrimage is different. It has a specific destination in mind. For those of us
who are followers of Jesus, that destination is Christ’s presence in Heaven. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I know
how easy it is to forget that we are on pilgrimage and that this world is not
our home. It is easy for us to get discouraged along the way. It is tempting to
give up the rigors of a pilgrimage and settle for an easier path. But we need
to keep our eyes on the goal. Again, Paul addressed this challenge in his
letter to the Corinthians. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2 Corinthians 4:16-18
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet
inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix
our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal</b>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am
intrigued by the idea of being on pilgrimage. It challenges me to see the hardships
of life as a part of the adventure. It gives me the energy to keep moving
forward. It challenges me not to give up and settle for something less. For
those of us who are followers of Jesus, our entire life is a pilgrimage toward
an eternal goal.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Philippians 3:12-14
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made
perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold
of me. Brothers, 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</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-5941973585020497712024-01-19T10:59:00.002-06:002024-01-19T10:59:48.865-06:00WHAT’S YOUR STORY?<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>But in your hearts
set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak
maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their
slander</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Everyone
has a story to tell. Although we may not admit it, most of us want the chance
to tell our story. When we get the chance, we don’t always tell our entire life
story, but we do share significant events (and sometimes less significant events)
from our life story. Back in 2007 I had emergency surgery. I have often
recounted the circumstances around that event. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> As a
part of my role as the interim pastor at the church I am serving, I formed a
Transition Team. As we were getting to know one another, I invited each member
of the team to share their faith story. It was fascinating to see all of the
different ways that God had been at work in these people’s lives. Sharing our
stories drew us together and allowed us to proceed with greater confidence and
cooperation. There were so many things in our stories that we shared with one
another. It was a great bonding experience. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> I
recently finished rereading Rick Warren’s book, <u>The Purpose Driven Life</u>.
I was encouraged and challenged by the way that Warren outlined what it means
to live our lives as genuine followers of Jesus. Near the end of the book,
Warren stressed the importance of sharing our faith stories with others. I
immediately thought of my experience with the Transition Team. Then I realized
that I have never shared my faith story with my children and their spouses as a
whole story. I had shared many parts of my story, but I had never put it all
together for them. So, I sat down and wrote out a three-page summary of my
faith journey and sent it to each of them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> I think
I am in good company. The Apostle Paul often shared his faith story. At least
three times the story of Paul meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus is
recounted. Paul also was willing to share the journey he was on after he became
a follower of Jesus. Many people have been blessed by reading and relating to
Paul’s faith journey. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> In 2
Corinthians 11, Paul, in his defense of his authority as an Apostle, recounted
the trials he had endured for the cause of Christ. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2 Corinthians
11:22-29 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's
descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk
like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more
frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and
again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three
times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked,
I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move.
I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my
own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in
the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have
labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and
thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides
everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who
is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly
burn?</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Paul was
not afraid to tell his story to anyone who would listen. I know that unlike
Paul, we are often reluctant to tell our faith story. We think that it might
offend people, or they might laugh at us, or they might reject us. Satan uses
fear to keep us silent. But we need to have the courage to speak up when the
opportunity arises. As Paul says in Colossians 4:5-6, <b>Be wise in the way you
act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation
be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer
everyone</b>. We don’t have to tell our entire story, but we can find ways to
share how our faith has influenced our lives. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> I would
encourage you to take the time to write out your story and then share it with
someone who can give you feedback. Then refine your story so that you can draw
from it when the opportunity arises. You don’t have to have the gift of
evangelism to share your story. You just need the courage to share it with
others. So, what’s your story? How has God shaped and influenced your life? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Acts 1:8 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will
be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of
the earth."</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p> </p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-22059349652596219272024-01-09T09:01:00.003-06:002024-01-09T09:01:45.421-06:00A HIGH CALLING<p style="text-align: center;"> <b style="text-align: center;">Jesus called them
together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over
them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you.
Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and
whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many."</b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Matthew 20:25-28 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you
are a fan of Downton Abby or have read any English Country novels, you will be
familiar with the social structure of the early 20<sup>th</sup> century. There
was a distinct hierarchy that existed. At the top were the landed gentry. Under
the gentry were the people of business and merchants. This was followed by
those “in service” to the gentry. Finally, there were the common people;
farmers, clerks, day laborers. Those “in service” were more secure than the
common people, but had less freedom than those above them. It was a trade off
in a time when security was valued more than position. There was an interesting
twist to this situation. Those who were “in service” often gained a certain
amount of status by who they served. Within this class of people, there was a
hierarchy based on which family they served. It was a privilege to serve one of
the “better” families. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
America, we pretty much did away with this rigid hierarchical system. We have
fostered rugged individualism and making our own way. We pride ourselves in
being self-made people, not bound by our class. Therefore, the idea of being
“in service” is seen as a negative thing rather a benefit. We all want to be
our own boss, even if we have to work for someone else. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Jesus
day, being a servant meant that you were at the bottom of the social scale.
There were different levels of being a servant, from a slave to a household
servant, but it meant that you had no status in society. No one aspired to be a
servant. It was not something a person would choose; it was just their lot in
life. Then Jesus came along and turned the system upside down. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
said, if you want to be great, be a servant. He not only said it, he lived it.
Paul tells us that Jesus intentionally set aside His glory to become a servant.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Who, being in very
nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but
made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became
obedient to death-- even death on a cross!</b> <br />
Philippians 2:6-8 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
had every right to pull rank and to demand that others serve Him. Instead, he
chose to take on the role of a servant. Then He called His followers to do the
same thing. One day His disciples got into an argument about who was the
greatest among them. When Jesus became aware of this, He instructed them to
take a different path. He reminded them that seeking to be in charge of others
was the way of the world. The way of the Kingdom was different. If they wanted
to be great in His Kingdom, then they needed to learn to be servants. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In many
ways, we have forgotten Jesus’ command for us to be servants. We have allowed
the values of the world to infiltrate the church and reestablish a worldly
hierarchy. But, in doing so, we have lost our impact on the world. We are not
demonstrating Kingdom living. We are mimicking worldly living. It is time for
us all to learn what it means to be a servant to all. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Being a
servant in the Kingdom of Jesus is a high calling. It doesn’t mean that we
demean our life or give up our positions in life. It means that we approach
everything we do with a servant’s heart. Instead of expecting others to serve
us, we need to look for ways to serve them. This can be accomplished in big and
small ways. What matters is not so much what we do, but why we do it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I
was a boy, I would go the mall with my mom and Aunt. As we walked through a
store, if there was an item on the floor, my mom would say, Dave, would you please
pick that up and put it back on the shelf. To this day, I cannot walk through a
store without picking up items off the floor and replacing them in their proper
place. My mom was teaching me to be a servant and it has stuck with me. Having
a servant’s heart is being willing to do what needs to be done even when it is
mundane. It is easy to do the big things that bring the praise of others. It is
harder to consistently do the little things that bring no praise. But that is
what it means to be a servant. For, remember that we are servants of the King
of Kings. Could there be any greater position to have? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
Paul was writing to slaves in the early church, he challenged them to look at their
position from a very different angle. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Slaves, obey your
earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you
would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on
you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly,
as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will
reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free</b>. <br />
Ephesians 6:5-8 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These
people had no choice about their position in life, but they had every choice
about how they would do their work. Paul reminded them that ultimately, they
were working for Christ and not their earthly master. It was Christ who would
reward them if they were faithful in their work. We need to be reminded of the
same thing. No matter what our position in life may be, we can either work for
the praise of people or for the praise of the Lord. If we will serve
wholeheartedly for the glory of God, we will be rewarded. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Living a
life “in service” for Christ is a high calling. Every day we have opportunities
to serve Christ through the way we serve others. Being a servant is a conscious
choice we must make every day. It is a choice that will shape how others see us
and how Jesus sees us. If we really want to be great, then we need to embrace
the high calling of being a servant. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than
yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to
the interests of others.</b> Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-87327103229807489572024-01-02T09:21:00.002-06:002024-01-02T09:21:50.700-06:00YOU BET YOUR LIFE<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death</b>.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Back in
the late 1940’s and early 1950’s there was a comedy quiz show, hosted by
Groucho Marx, called “You Bet Your Life.” Contestants were asked a series of questions
interspersed with comic interactions with Groucho. The show was rebooted by Jay
Leno in 2021. The show was just for fun, but the idea of betting your life is
not. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is
hard to watch TV now without being bombarded with ads for on-line betting. Each
ad promises big wins to those who sign up. They even offer you free bets, after
you have invested a certain amount of money. What they don’t tell you is that
most of the people who bet are going to lose. That’s the way it works.
Interestingly, there have been more ads that are cautioning people about the
danger of on-line betting. One of them shows a cartoon of a man betting
on-line, and it asks the questions, what can you lose? As the man continues to
bet, things begin disappearing from the scene until he has lost everything. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
are thousands of people who will never sign up for on-line betting yet are
betting their lives every day. They are betting that they can live however they
want with no consequences. Satan has sold people a bill of goods that promises
them amazing wins, but he hides the reality behind his promises. Satan has
convinced many people that they don’t have to live by God’s standards, so they bet
on the lie that they will never be held accountable for the way they live their
lives. It is a bet that they will ultimately lose. It is also a bet that many
lose on a regular basis. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because
of living as if there are no consequences, people lose their health, their
jobs, their families, their self-respect, and their reputation. For many, these
experiences break them and they seek to change the way they are living. For
many others, these experiences only harden them and they double down on doing
their own thing. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life. There is no way that we can avoid the consequences
of our sinful actions unless we repent and turn our lives over to God. Living a
self-centered life comes at a cost. Living a life without God comes at a cost.
No matter what a person’s life looks like in the present, there will come a day
when the bill must be paid. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2 Corinthians 5:10
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or
bad</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In one
way or another, we are all betting our life on something. Some are betting on
there being no God and no consequences. Some are betting on doing enough good
that God will accept them. Some are betting on the saving work of Jesus Christ.
We must all decide upon what we are willing to bet our life. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
philosopher Pascal summarized the wager we all make in the following way. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">If we wager that God exists and God does exist, then we
will receive infinite happiness. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">If we wager that God exists and He does not exist, then
we lose out on some finite happiness.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">If we wager that God does not exist and He does not, then
we gain some finite happiness. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">If we wager that God does not exist and He does exist,
then we lose all happiness for eternity. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
are many who have objected to this simplified approach, but the basic idea
still stands. What will you bet your life on? Jesus put it another, more profound
way. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Matthew 16:24-26
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he
must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What
good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m
betting my life on what Jesus said and promised. How about you? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Proverbs 12:15 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.</b> <o:p></o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-78552401671892224432023-12-30T08:53:00.000-06:002023-12-30T08:53:12.013-06:00BEGINNING WELL<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)</p>
<p> Every
part of a race is important, but beginning and ending well is critical. If a
person has a poor start or stumbles over the finish line, it really doesn’t
matter how the rest of the race went. This is true of all of life. If a person
fails to give their best effort at the beginning, they spend the rest of their
time trying to catch up. This often leads to a poor finish.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p> We
measure our lives by years. Although the beginning of a new year is an
arbitrary designation, it does mark a benchmark in life. At the beginning of
each new year, we get a chance to make a new beginning. We can determine to
live a better, more productive life in the year to come. When we string a
series of these “best efforts” together, our chances of finishing well
increase.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p> Another
way of looking at this is to think of life as a series of seasons. Sports
revolves around set seasons. We are coming to the end of the football season.
For many teams, their season is already over. Every coach is looking ahead to
next season and how they can strengthen their team. Every team wants to end
their season well and then carry that success into the beginning of the next
season. The period in between seasons is a time to evaluate and prepare for the
next season.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"> Beginning
well is all about developing the proper perspective. The more that we
understand our purpose and goal, the better we will perform. As followers of
Christ, it is important for us to look at our lives through a set of three
filters that help us to run the best race that we can.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p> We
first need to look through the filter of our end goal. Who do we want to be and
what do we want to have accomplished by the end of our race. Looking at the end
goal can keep us on track and help us to avoid dead ends that can hinder our
progress. As Paul looked at his life, he always kept the goal of truly knowing
Christ before him. Paul clearly articulated that goal in Philippians 3:7-11.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But
whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is
more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider
them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a
righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want
to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing
in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain
to the resurrection from the dead</i></b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p> We
next need to look at the seasons of our life. What season am I in right now?
What are the pluses and minuses of this time of life? How can I best use this
season of my life for the cause of Christ? Each season of life comes with
challenges to face and opportunities to grasp. Knowing what season you are in
can help you to make critical decisions about what is most important right now.
Although in every season of life, there
will be times of intense activity and times of less activity, we can never
afford to put our life on auto-pilot and just coast. Again, Paul expressed this
well in Philippians 3:12-14. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Not
that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I
press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers,
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</i></b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p> The
third filter is the present year before me. What do I need to do this year to
move me toward my desired goals as a believer? How can I use this year to grow
spiritually and to bear fruit for Christ? It is important, at the beginning of
each new year, to set realistic goals that can motivate us to keep striving
toward the ultimate goal. Every year counts. The way we live our lives in the
present will shape who we become and how we will end our race. Paul challenges
us to be intentional about how we live today.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Be
very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of
every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but
understand what the Lord's will is.</i></b> (Ephesians 5:15-17) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p> As
we launch into a new year, it is important that we begin well. We can set a
pace for genuine, spiritual growth in the new year. At the beginning of the new
year, it is important to put things into proper perspective. To put it in
sports terms; we need to look at the game, the season, and the legacy. Each
game (year) builds toward a successful season. Each season builds toward an
enduring legacy. What kind of a legacy do you want to build toward this year?</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV)</div>
<br />
<p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-8350182391977048462023-12-19T09:15:00.000-06:002023-12-19T09:15:19.179-06:00STILL AMAZED<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">John 1:14 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace
and truth</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
confess that I have always been sentimental about Christmas. Even as a young
boy, I would get choked up when we sung certain Christmas carols. Unfortunately,
that has only gotten worse as I have grown older. We attended our grandchildren’s
Christmas program recently and when we were asked to sing Silent Night with the
children, I found it hard to sing. I think the reason I get so emotional at
Christmas is because of how amazing Christmas really is. Christmas celebrates
the most amazing event of all of human history, the very creator of the world
entered our world in the form of a baby. What could be more amazing than that? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
are many things about the Christmas event that still amaze me. I am amazed at
how God orchestrated events so that Jesus was born at the right time in the
right place. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken
of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while
Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to
register. <br />
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to
Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of
David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to
him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the
baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in
cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the
inn</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
prophet Micah had predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. God
used Caesar Augustus to move Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem in time
for Jesus to be born there. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am
amazed at the response of both Mary and Joseph to this entire event. Mary willingly
took on the role of being Jesus’ mother, even though it meant that she would be
misunderstood and possibly shunned. Joseph, in the same way, took Mary as his
wife, knowing that the child she bore was not his own. Yet, when the time came,
Joseph claimed Jesus as his own. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am
amazed that God chose to send Jesus as a baby, with all of the inherent risks
that went along with that. The infant mortality rate at that time was 50%.
There were no vaccines, no pediatricians, no health care as we know it. It was
quite a risk. Also, Jesus grew up in a dangerous time, as Rome solidified its
hold on the Middle East. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am
amazed at the indifference of the very people who were looking for the coming
of the Messiah. Mathew’s gospel tells us that when Herod inquired of the chief
priests and teachers of the Law where the Messiah was to be born, they gave the
right answer. What is more amazing is that they did nothing with it. Herod sent
the Magi to seek out the child, but the chief priests and teachers of the Law
stayed home in Jerusalem. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>John
tells us that when Jesus came into the world, the very people who had been prepared
to receive him failed to do so. <b>He came to that which was his own, but his
own did not receive him</b>. John 1:11 (NIV) After looking forward to the
coming of the Messiah for centuries, they failed to recognize Him when He
arrived. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am amazed
that God chose to reveal the reality of the Messiah coming to unexpected
people. He announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds. Shepherds lived on the
fringe of society. Because they had to care for the sheep and often had to deal
with dead animals, they were barred from participation in worship. Ironically,
the shepherds we cared for the sheep that would eventually become sacrifices at
the temple, could not enter the temple themselves. Yet, God chose to reveal the
truth of Jesus’ birth to them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Luke 2:8-12 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over
their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to
them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be
for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped
in cloths and lying in a manger."</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If that
was not enough, God revealed the birth of Jesus to Magi from the east. These
Magi were both spiritual and political leaders in the Medo-Persian empire. No
one could sit on the throne without their blessing. God showed them a sign that
a new king had been born in Israel and so they made the long journey to
acknowledge and worship him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Matthew 2:1-2 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,
Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has
been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to
worship him."</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Still
today, God reveals the reality of Jesus to those who are available and open to His
message. The message of Christmas, that a Savior has been born to you, is still
for all those who will joyfully receive it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">John 1:12-13 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of
human decision or a husband's will, but born of God</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am
still amazed every Christmas that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus into
the world. Christmas is the greatest gift that the world has ever received.
Many have received that gift with joy. Many have still left that gift unwrapped
and unappreciated. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The
virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him
Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."</b> <o:p></o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-34008015465278073422023-12-12T09:29:00.003-06:002023-12-12T09:29:34.390-06:00GOD STILL SPEAKS<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Hebrews 1:1-2 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times
and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe</b>.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of
the things that stands out to me about the Christmas season is how hard it is
for people to ignore Jesus. There is a new Christmas movie this year about a genie
entering our world at Christmas. In the promo for the movie, there is a dialog
between the main character and the genie. The genie asks the man what Christmas
is all about. He tells her that it is a celebration of Jesus’ birth. She
announces that she knew Jesus. Then the man says that we believe that Jesus is
the Son of God. The genie is taken aback and states, I thought he was kidding.
I think there are many people who embrace the Christmas story as a nice story,
but don’t take it seriously. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have
been reading a book by J.I. Packer called <u>God Has Spoken</u>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a defense of the Bible. Packer makes the
case that God has spoken in the past and is still speaking today through His
word and through His church. Twice a year the reality that God is still
speaking to our world comes to the forefront: Easter and Christmas. On both
occasions the world tries to hide the true meaning of these events by
overlaying them with superficial mythology. But God continues to speak all the
same. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On my
drive into church, I pass four different billboards, which declare that Jesus
is the true center of Christmas. I was in a store the other day and next to <u>Jiggle
Bells</u> and <u>I’ll Be Home for Christmas</u> I heard <u>Away in a Manger</u>
and <u>Silent Night</u> being played. As I drive through various neighborhoods
I see snowmen, reindeer, and nativity scenes all missed together. People cannot
ignore Jesus, even though they try. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We can
choose to not listen to God’s voice or we can tune in to what He is saying to
us. All around us, God is declaring His glory and inviting us to join Him. The
world He created shouts about His power, creativity, and ingenuity. The Bible
invites us to get to know the character of God in a personal way. Not only is
He a God of power and justice, but He is a God of love, grace, and mercy. Jesus
came on that first Christmas to fully reveal God to humanity. He came to make
the unknowable knowable, the untouchable touchable, the distant near, the
eternal finite. As Hebrews tells us, <b>The Son is the radiance of God's glory
and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his
powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the
right hand of the Majesty in heaven</b>. Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Almost
everyone is drawn to a baby. When our first son was just a baby, we took a trip
to the North Shore of Lake Superior. Everywhere we went total strangers would
come up to us and comment of our baby. He acted like a magnet that drew people
to us. God knows the human heart. He knows how to get around our defenses so
that we can encounter Him. So He chose to enter our world as a baby. If He had
come as a warrior or a king, we might have revered Him or bowed to Him, but we
would not have gotten close to Him. But when He came as a baby, He invited us
to come near and to experience His love. Each year at Christmas, God sends the
same message to the world. God is still speaking for those who have ears to
hear and hearts that are open. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Luke 2:8-20 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over
their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to
them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be
for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped
in cloths and lying in a manger." <br />
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising
God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on
whom his favor rests." <br />
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one
another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about." <br />
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in
the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had
been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered
them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all
the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-79732090055859411632023-12-05T09:31:00.000-06:002023-12-05T09:31:10.082-06:00A TIME FOR PEACE<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Luke 2:14 (NIV)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his
favor rests."</b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As I
drove into the office this morning, I heard the latest report from Gaza. Israel
continues to push its military advance against Hamas. There is no peace in
Israel today. The war in Ukraine continues to grind on. There is no peace in
Ukraine today. Throughout the world there is turmoil of all kinds. Although
there is peace where I live, there is little peace on earth. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Christmas season is supposed to be a time of joy and of peace. Yet for so many
people there is no peace. So, has the message of the angels failed? The answer
to that question is a resounding NO! The message that the angels gave to the
shepherds is still valid today for all who will seek the Prince of Peace. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
peace that the angels declared was not the absence of strife, but the reality
of a new relationship with the Living God. The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom.
It means inner peace, well-being, blessing even in the face of difficulties.
There is a peace that passes understanding and it is found in the babe born in
Bethlehem. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We can have
peace even in a time of turmoil and upheaval. It is a peace that comes when we
take our eyes off of our circumstances and put them on God. In Philippians 4,
Paul challenges us to place our confidence in the one who can sustain us no
matter what. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Philippians 4:4-7
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No
matter what is going on around us, we can hold onto the reality that the Lord
is always near to us. Jesus promised that he will never abandon us or forsake us.
Because the Lord is near, we can take all of our concerns to Him with
confidence. And He promises to replace our anxiety with His peace. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Psalmist put into words the confidence we can have in the Lord, especially in
difficult times. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Psalms 46:1-7 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. <br />
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall
into the heart of the sea, <br />
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah <br />
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where
the Most High dwells. <br />
God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. <br />
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. <br />
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He ends
this Psalm with words of confidence and hope. <b>"Be still, and know that
I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the
earth." The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah</b> Psalms 46:10-11 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For many
people, the Christmas season is a positive time of joy and hope. It is a season
to set aside all of the turmoil in the world and experience peace, if only for
a short time. For many others, the Christmas season is a time of heartache and
grief. It is anything but a time of peace. Paul again speaks to both groups.
True peace is not temporary or out of our grasp. It is available to all who
will personally encounter the babe born in Bethlehem, just as the shepherds
did. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2 Corinthians 4:6-10
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his
light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show
that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed
on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but
not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our
body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our
body</b>. <br />
<br />
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet
inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix
our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
knew full well that the world we live in would be filled with trouble and
hardship. He knew that because of sin, there would be little political peace in
our world. But He promised us that through Him we can have peace even in a
world in turmoil. <b>"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."</b> John 16:33 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The message
that the angels gave to the shepherds is still true. God has come into our
world in the form of a baby to bring genuine peace to all who will seek Him.
That baby grew into a man who revealed the true nature of God and who willingly
took upon Himself the sin of the world, in order to set us free and to give us
lasting peace. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in
the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned</b>. <br />
<br />
Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be
on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-15498072270471099422023-11-28T09:24:00.003-06:002023-11-28T09:24:14.751-06:00ANTICIPATION<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with
child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This is
the season of anticipation. This anticipation is increased by all of the
holiday hype. But lurching just in the shadows of seasonal anticipation is
impatience. We are told that we must buy now before the sales end. We want
everything shipped next day. We don’t want to wait in lines or take the time to
go to the store, so we buy on-line. It seems like we are being rushed to get
through the season as quickly as possible. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
people of Israel were promised that a redeemer from the line of David would
come and rescue the people. They called him the Messiah, the Anointed One. They
longed for his coming. They looked for his coming. But they also got impatient.
On more than one occasion, they took matters into their own hands and tried to
manufacture the fulfillment of God’s promise, but it never worked. It only
increased their impatience. Ironically, when the Messiah finally arrived, the
majority of people missed it. In their impatience, they created an image of the
Messiah that blinded them to the real Messiah. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As followers
of Jesus, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. But we are also called
to live in anticipation of His return. The beginning of the story of Jesus’
ministry on earth took place in Bethlehem. But the end of the story is yet to
come. When Jesus comes again, He will rescue His people from sin and death for
all of eternity. But until that time, we must wait and anticipate His return. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
said that no one will know the time of His return. Instead, He told us to be
ready at any time. We are to live in anticipation of the day when He will again
break into His creation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b>“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the
Son, but only the Father.”</b> Matthew 24:36 (NIV)<br />
<br />
<b>“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will
come.”</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Matthew 24:42 (NIV)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
church has been waiting for over 2000 years for Jesus to return. Many have
become impatient and have tried to calculate Jesus’ return, often with damaging
effect. Early in my ministry I received an unsolicited copy of a book titled “88
Reasons Why Jesus will Return in 1988.” When Jesus did not return in 1988, the
book was reissued as “89 Reasons Why Jesus will Return in 1989.” We can shake
our heads and discount efforts like this, yet many people have been caught up
in these theories and have made some bad decisions because of them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These
failed efforts to calculate the return of Christ have served to fuel the fires
of skepticism and scorn for the Gospel. The world mocks people who take the
return of Christ seriously. They point to 2000 years of waiting and conclude
that there is no substance to the promise. But they are wrong, very wrong. If
we can learn anything from the history of the people of Israel, God’s timing is
never humanity’s timing. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Peter
warned us long ago that the world would reject the reality of Jesus return. In
his second letter, he lays out the scenario that we find ourselves in today. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2 Peter 3:3-10 (NIV) <br />
<b>First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come,
scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’
he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since
the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s
word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By
these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same
word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the
day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. <br />
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in
keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not
wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. <br />
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with
a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in
it will be laid bare</b>. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Peter
was clear that we could expect the world to become impatient and to turn
against us. He reminds us that God’s timing is not our timing. God’s patience
means increased opportunity for more people to come to faith in Him. He is not
impatient to end the story of humanity. He is giving the world a chance to
repent and turn toward Him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But Peter
goes on to address those of us who are anticipating Christ’s return. In light
of God’s patience and the reality that one day Jesus will return, how should we
live our lives new? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2 Peter 3:11-13 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought
you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the
day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of
the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping
with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the
home of righteousness</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Peter
tells us to live lives of anticipation. We are be intentional about living holy
and righteous lives in the present and to keep our eyes on the horizon. We are
to live in eager expectation of Christ’s return and the new world that He will
usher into existence at that time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Advent season is indeed a time of anticipation. It is appropriate for us to
look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ with our family and friends. But
it should also fuel our anticipation of the day when Jesus will return in power
and glory. The greatest gift we can give to Jesus is to faithfully serve Him
until He comes. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Matthew 24:45-47
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in
charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper
time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he
returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his
possessions.”</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-18692980026175891632023-11-21T08:58:00.000-06:002023-11-21T08:58:13.024-06:00WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE THANKFUL?<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Colossians 4:2 (NIV) <br />
<b>Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> As we
approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we are reminded that we ought to be
thankful. But what does that really mean? Most people don’t really take
thankfulness seriously. Their thanks are superficial at best. Saying thank you
has become a courtesy with little substance behind it. So, what does it mean
for us to be genuinely thankful. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> It
begins by being intentional about recognizing the blessings we have received.
Not only do we take so many things for granted, we often see them as our right.
Rather than being thankful, we presume upon the blessings we have received. For
us to be truly thankful, we need to consciously recognize and name our
blessings. Like the old hymn says, count your blessings, name them one by one. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Let’s
name just a few of the blessing many of us take for granted. I have never truly
gone hungry. Throughout my life there has always been food on the table. I know
that is not true for everyone, but it is for the vast majority of us. I have
never not had clothes to wear. I may not have had the latest fashions or the
best brands, but I have always had clothes to wear. In fact, I have more
clothes than I actually need. Most of us have a closet filled with clothes at
our disposal. I have never been homeless. From the time I was born until this
day I have had a place to call home. There are homeless people in our world,
but most of us do not live among us. All of these things and more are blessings
from God that we take for granted. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> I think
the second thing we need to do to be truly thankful is to value our blessings.
We live in a society that devalues what we have and over values what we do not
have. The cell phone in our pocket is never good enough. The car we drive is
never good enough. The home we live in is never good enough. Instead of valuing
our blessings, we tend to demean them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The Apostle
Paul took a very different view. He said that the foundation for a truly
thankful life is contentment. True contentment is enjoying and celebrating what
we have, not obsessing with what we do not have. Look at what Paul says in
Philippians 4:11-13. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Philippians 4:11-13
(NIV) <br />
<b>I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content
whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it
is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I
can do everything through him who gives me strength</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> We can
be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, if we get our eyes off
of what we do not have and onto the blessings the Lord has already provided. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> That
leads me to the last component of being truly thankful. We need to acknowledge
to whom we are giving thanks. For most people, thankfulness floats in a vacuum.
They know that they should be thankful, and them may even feel thankful, but
they don’t focus on to whom they should give thanks. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> Twenty
times in the book of Psalms we are commanded to give thanks to the Lord. As James
has said, <b>Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the
Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows</b>. James
1:17 (NIV)<b> </b>Every blessing that we receive comes from the hand of God. He
has done this because of His everlasting love for us. His desire is to fill our
lives with good things. He doesn’t do this because we somehow deserve these
blessings. He does it out of His mercy and grace toward us. The Psalmist put
this in perspective for us in Psalm 103. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Psalms 103:1-5 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise
the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- who forgives all your
sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns
you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so
that your youth is renewed like the eagle's</b>. <br />
<br />
Psalms 103:13-18 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on
those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are
dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the
field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no
more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who
fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- with those who
keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> As we
approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we can just go through the motions, or we
can be intentionally and genuinely thankful. If we are going to be truly
thankful there are at least three things we need to do. Intentionally
acknowledge and celebrate all of the blessings we have received. Give those
blessings the value that they deserve. And express our thanks to the one who is
the author of every blessing. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1 Thessalonians
5:16-18 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style="text-align: center;"> </span> </p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-23416860976868540522023-11-14T09:13:00.003-06:002023-11-14T09:13:33.527-06:00LIVING UNDER THE SHADOW OF DEATH<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Psalms 23:4 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Even 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.</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
morning as I drove into the office I got run over by the shadow of a semi-truck.
I am very glad it was the truck’s shadow and not the actual truck. The outcome
would have been very different. If we are caught by surprise, a shadow can frighten
us, but it cannot harm us. A shadow can make us aware of some presence, but it
has no real substance itself. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Psalmist David wrote that even if he walked in the shadow of death, he would
not be afraid. He knew that his life was in the hands of his good shepherd. All
of us are walking in the valley of the shadow of death. Some days we are aware
of this shadow. Most days we are not. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am in
the process of preparing for a special event titled “First Christmas in Heaven.”
It is a time for people who have lost a loved one during this past year to
gather to remember and to grieve together. This year I will be joining the
group not just as the speaker, but as a fellow mourner. I lost two significant
people from my life this year; my mother and my older brother. It has caused me
to reflect upon the reality of the shadow of death. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Death is
the reality that few people want to think about. Someone once said that when it
comes to the statistics regarding death, the odds are against us. 100% of human
beings will die. The only question is when. Some will die young and some will
die old, and many will die somewhere in between. Most people, at least in the
Western world, try to distance themselves from death. They don’t want to think
about it, especially when it comes to their own demise. In some ways, people
spend their lives running away from death. They join health clubs, take
multiple supplements, and even have cosmetic surgery in an attempt to distance
themselves from death. But in the end, all of these efforts are futile. Death
always wins. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But we
don’t have to live that way. In fact, we can face death head on without fear. How?
By placing our faith in Jesus Christ. When Mary and Martha were faced with the
death of their brother Lazarus, Jesus came to them and gave them a whole new perspective
on death. <b>Jesus said to her</b> (Martha), <b>"I am the resurrection and
the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever
lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"</b> John
11:25-26 (NIV) Jesus took the finality out of death by declaring that He is the
source of life eternal. Even though we will have to face physical death, it is
only a shadow. Our physical death is the birth channel into eternal life with
Christ. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
picked up on this new reality in his first letter to the Corinthians. He
pointed them past death to the reality of the resurrection and the new life
that awaits us. <b>I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen,
I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- in a
flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will
sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the
perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with
immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and
the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:
"Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is
your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let
nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because
you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.</b> 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
(NIV)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
gave us further words of hope and encouragement as we face death in his first
letter to the Thessalonians. <b>Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant
about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no
hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will
bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's
own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming
of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the
Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of
the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will
rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be
with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.</b> 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Death is
the ultimate reality that every human being has to face. It is a formidable enemy
that we cannot defeat. In the end, death will always win. For those who have
rejected God and the message of the Gospel, the shadow of death will become the
darkness of an eternity separated from the light of God. But for the believer
in Christ, death is only a shadow that we must pass through. On the other side
of that shadow is the light of life found in Jesus Christ. He will dispel the
shadow of death and welcome us into the light of eternal life in Him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Philippians 1:21
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-1234271794008177552023-11-07T09:24:00.004-06:002023-11-07T09:24:40.048-06:00THE ARROGANCE OF OUR SENSES<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Colossians 1:16 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things
were created by him and for him.</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We have
been blessed with what are referred to as our five senses: taste, touch, sight,
smell, and hearing. It is through these five senses that we encounter our world
on a daily basis. From the time we are born, we explore and learn about the
world through them. They are amazing tools that we really take for granted most
of the time. They are always running in the background, so to speak. Yet, they
are constantly gathering information about our world that is stored in our
brain and shapes the way we interact with our world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The hard
sciences are based on the use of our five senses. They interpret our world
through what is tangible and encounterable. As a biology major in college, I
was enthralled with getting into the lab and seeing for myself the things we
talked about in class. Doing the experiments was the highlight of every class
for me. There is so much we can learn about our world through the avenue of
science. Using our five senses, we can make so many amazing discoveries. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
there is a problem. Not everything in our world is tangible. Not everything in
our world can be taken into the lab and explored. There are things that are
intangible, yet very real. In this case our five senses tend to work against us.
We can fall into the trap of tangibility. If I can not see it, touch it, smell
it, taste it, or hear it, then it must not be real. Only that which is tangible
is really real. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
social sciences have struggled with this. They deal with many of the
intangibles of our world. They try to understand human nature and make sense of
things that are not easily tested in a lab. They have defined some of the intangibles,
such as feelings, motives, and ideas. These things create tangible actions and
consequences in our world. But even the social sciences stop short of really
exploring the intangible world around us. They limit their study, for the most
part, to the boundaries of human interactions. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we
enter into the realm of theology, we open up a can of worms that seems to be in
conflict with the tangible world in which we live. Theology tells us that there
is an intangible world that coexists along side of our tangible world. This
intangible world interacts with and influences our tangible world, but in ways
that are hard to discern. If we limit ourselves to the tangible world, every
action has to be explained in some tangible way. When we open the door to the
intangible, things get more complicated. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
ancient word, and some non-western societies today, the spiritual world was readily
accepted as a reality. They believed in demons and angels, spiritual powers and
influences, that influenced the world in which they lived. Today, many people
see this as superstition and fantasy. The only real world is the one we live
is; there is nothing beyond our tangible world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As believers
in Christ, we are caught in the middle of this debate. We fully recognize the
tangible world in which we live and how our five senses inform our
understanding of the world. At the same time, we accept that there is also an
intangible, spiritual world that is just as real and has the power to influence
our tangible world in ways that we cannot fully comprehend. The Bible refers to
these entities as angels, demons, principalities, and powers. They are a part
of the created order. Colossians 1: 16 tells us that Christ is the one who created
these beings for his purposes. They are all under his authority, even those who
are in rebellion against him. Just as there are opposing forces of good and
evil in our tangible world, there are opposing forces of good and evil in the
intangible world. Human beings, created in the image of God and commissioned to
be His representatives on earth, are the ultimate battleground in which these
opposing forces contend. The actions of the spiritual world have direct effects
upon the physical world. What we see as a clash of philosophy or culture is
actually the product of the clash in the spiritual realm. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul challenges
us, in Ephesians 6:12, to accept the reality of these intangible forces that
produce tangible consequences in our world. <b>For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms</b>. The powers of darkness and the powers of light are in a
constant struggle to win the hearts and minds of humanity. The powers of darkness
want to pull us away from God and Christ. The powers of light are drawing us
toward God and Christ. Every struggle we face in life comes down to this. Will
this struggle sour me toward God or encourage me to seek Him more fully? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Here is
where the arrogance of our five senses comes in. If we limit our understanding
of life to our five senses, then we must limit the solutions to our problems to
the tangible world. There is no resource, outside of human ingenuity, that can
help us deal with life. But if we are willing to acknowledge the reality of the
intangible world, it opens up the possibility for us to tap into a source of
power, found in Christ, that can overcome any of our tangible issues. Acknowledging
the intangible actually empowers us to deal with the tangible in better ways.
This takes humility; the humility to acknowledge that we don’t have all the
answers, nor can we discover them. It is the humility to allow God to step into
our life and take control. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bottomline,
the tangible world is temporary and transient. Everything in this world will
eventually pass away. In fact, that is the very thing that humanity is most
afraid of. We put enormous effort in preserving and sustaining this life,
because it is all that we have. The intangible world, on the other hand, is
eternal. It is not transient and it will not pass away. If we are willing to
connect these two worlds, through our faith in the one who created them both,
then we can truly experience life. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2 Corinthians 4:16-18
(NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet
inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix
our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-21389196936246268052023-10-31T09:25:00.007-05:002023-10-31T09:25:44.592-05:00SAINTS AND SINNERS<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: left;">Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)</span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.</b></div>
<br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
I was growing up Halloween was just a fun event for children. We did not think
ghouls and goblins were real, so it was all make-believe fun. In fact, our
church often had a Halloween party in the basement of the church complete with costumes,
games, food and candy. </p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Today,
Halloween has taken on a much more sinister persona. Although many children see
it still as a fun night to dress up and go door to door gathering candy, some adults
have co-opted the evening for less innocent activities. The emphasis on evil
spirits and witches has lent a satanic bent on the event. Secular people who
laugh at the idea of a real spirit world, use the night for uninhibited
revelry, often with negative consequences. </p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
how did this whole thing get started. Why is there a Halloween? The answer may
surprise you. Halloween actually has its roots in the Church. Halloween falls
on the evening before <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">the Christian </span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">holy
days of All</span> Hallows Day<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">, also known as <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">All Saints' Day, </span>on 1 November,
and A</span>ll Souls Day<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> on 2 November, thus giving the
holiday on 31 October the full name of <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">All Hallows' Eve</span> (meaning the evening before All Hallows'
Day). These three days are collectively referred to as Allhallowtide and are a time for honoring the sa</span>ints<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> and praying for the recently
departed souls </span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">who have yet to reach Heaven.
All Saints was introduced in the year 606, but was originally celebrated on 13
May. In 835, it was switched to 1 November. On All Hallows' Eve,
Christians in some parts of the world still visit graveyards</span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> to
pray and place flowers and candles on the graves of their loved ones. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span> "Souling", the custom
of baking and sharing soul cakes for
all christened souls, has
been suggested as the origin of trick-or-treating. The custom dates back
at least as far as the 15th century and was found in parts of England,
Belgium, Germany, Austria and Italy. Groups of poor people, often
children, would go door-to-door during Allhallowtide, collecting soul cakes, in
exchange for praying for the dead, especially the souls of the givers'
friends and relatives. Shakespeare mentions
the practice in his comedy <i>The Two Gentlemen of Verona. </i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> The custom of wearing
costumes has been explained by Prince Sorie Conteh, who wrote: "It was
traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until
All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to
gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world.</span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> In order to avoid being recognized
by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or
costumes to disguise their identities".<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span> Folklorist Kingsley Palmer has
suggested that the carved jack-o'-lantern, a popular symbol of Halloween,
originally represented the souls of the dead. On Halloween, in medieval
Europe, "fires were lit to guide these souls on their way and deflect them
from haunting honest Christian folk." In addition, households
in Austria, England, and Ireland often had "candles burning in every room to guide the
souls back to visit their earthly homes". These were known as "soul
lights". </p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span> Many Christians in Europe, especially in France, acknowledged
"a belief that once a year, on Hallowe'en, the dead of the churchyards
rose for one wild, hideous carnival," known as the <i>danse macabre,</i> which was commonly depicted in church decoration,
especially on the walls of cathedrals, monasteries, and cemeteries. The <i>danse
macabre</i> urged people not to forget the end of all earthly
things." This danse macabre, which was enacted by "Christian
village children who celebrated the vigil of All Saints" in the 16th
Century, has been suggested as the predecessor of modern-day costume parties on
this same day.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span> With regard to the evil spirits on
Halloween, "barns and homes were blessed to protect people and livestock from the effect of witches, who
were believed to accompany the malignant spirits as they traveled the
earth." In the 19th century, in some rural parts of England, families
gathered on hills on the night of All Hallows' Eve. One held a bunch of burning
straw on a pitchfork while the rest knelt around him in a circle,
praying for the souls of relatives and friends until the flames went out.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span> Many Evangelicals today want to
distance themselves from Halloween, for many different reasons. I am not
advocating for Halloween, but I think it can serve as a reminder to us of some
truths we so easily forget.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span> All of us have come to faith on
the shoulders of those saints who have gone before us. The Bible is clear that
every believer is a saint. The term saint refers to anyone who has responded to
God’s offer of salvation and by God’s grace has been set apart for His service.
It is all too common today for church members to be ignorant of church history
in general and denominational history specifically. The danger of this is that
we cut ourselves loose from the spiritual foundation upon which our faith is built.
We begin to believe that our generation is the only one who understands the
truth and that history has nothing to teach us. In that we are sadly mistaken.
Many churches are in danger of giving up certain fundamental practices and
beliefs because they don’t understand how and why they came to be.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span> The writer of Hebrews stressed
the importance of remaining connected with those who have run the race before
us. In Hebrews 11, he goes to great lengths to remind us of our spiritual
heritage. Then he begins chapter 12 with these words. <b>Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us</b>. Hebrews 12:1</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span> Another thing that we have lost
as a society is our connection to family. Not just our immediate family, but to
our historical family. We tend to live such isolated, independent lives that we
give little thought to our personal history. Understanding where we have come
from and what influences have shaped our lives is essential for being a whole
person. None of us was born into a vacuum; we were all born into a family,
warts and all. In the Old Testament, honoring and respecting one’s family and
heritage was very important. The Jews kept meticulous records of family
connections all the way back to the patriarchs. This was especially true for
the priests and Levites. In fact, nestled in the center of the ten commandments
is the command to honor your father and mother. This command extended well
beyond the nuclear family.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span> There is one other truth that
Halloween should remind us of; the reality of the spiritual world, both good
and evil. There is a whole spiritual realm of angels and demons that are
actively involved in our world. We most often live oblivious to this reality.
That does not diminish its influence. The Bible speaks often of God sending his
angels to guide and protect his people. It also speaks of the evil spirits in
the world that seek to do harm to God’s people. Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians
6:12. <b>For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms</b>. Paul goes on to tell us to take this seriously by putting
on the whole armor of God so we can take our stand against such evil forces. <b>Therefore
put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be
able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand</b>.
Ephesians 6:13</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We often see ancient times and
primitive societies as superstitious and backward. In our scientific age, we
tend to discount anything that cannot be tested in some tangible way. But in
many ways, those who we view as primitive were and are more in tune with the
spiritual realities of this world than we are. We often deny what the Bible
clearly teaches is a present reality. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span> There are many inappropriate and
even evil aspects to Halloween as it is observed today. There is also still an
innocent, playful aspect as well. But behind it there is some spiritual truth.
We are not on this journey through life alone. We are connected with our fellow
travelers from the past, the present and the future.</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our
eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set
before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful
men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Hebrews 12:1-3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-23405215983445029922023-10-24T10:20:00.005-05:002023-10-24T10:20:49.559-05:00WHY SHOULD I?<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">1 Peter 4:2 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human
desires, but rather for the will of God</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Anyone
who has raised children or works with children has faced the persistent
question of “why.” Children are notorious for responding to directives by
adults with “why.” Much of the time they ask why out of curiosity. They really
do want to understand. They want to know more about this world that we live in.
Why is the sky blue? Why do birds fly south in the winter? Why do the leaves
turn colors in the autumn? But there is another category of why questions that
is more a statement of resistance or even defiance. Why do I have to go to
school? Why do I have to go to bed at 8:00 PM? Why do I have to do what you
tell me to do? One why is given with an open mind and heart. The other why is
given with a closed heart and crossed arms. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
ancient world everyone believed in some god or gods. They saw the gods as
having a direct impact upon their everyday lives. When they asked why, they
were usually trying to understand why some misfortune had befallen them. There
are many people today who do not believe in the existence of a god, in any form.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many of them, when they ask why, it
is a question of control. Believing that they are in total control of their
lives, they ask “why do I need to believe in God?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From a
human perspective, the question, why should I follow the directives in the
Bible, is a real question. They see all that the world has to offer to them as
positive and good. The world offers them fun, fulfillment, and maximum
enjoyment. To them, the Bible is restrictive and archaic. Why should I live a
life of self-denial when a life of self-indulgence is at my fingertips? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the
heart of this question is the existence of God. Not just any god, but the God
who created and sustains all that is; things we see and things we do not see.
If this supreme God does not exist, then I am free to live my life however I
want to. But if this supreme God does exist, then I have an obligation to
listen to what He has to say. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Many
people today see Christianity as only a moral code that does not mix well with
our current world. If Christianity is just another moral code among many, then
a person has the right to pick which code seems to fit their life the best.
Unfortunately, the church has often presented our faith as a moral code to be
followed. But by doing so, we have cut the heart out of the true message of our
faith. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If we
want to really find the answer to the ultimate why question, then we need to
start at the beginning. All religions teach that the world had a beginning. Even
the majority of scientists today believe the world had a beginning.
Christianity makes the case that the source of this beginning was God. <b>In
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth</b>. Genesis 1:1 (NIV) As a
part of that creation God made humanity. He made humanity not to just one more
piece of His creation, but to be His special agents within His creation. <b>Then
God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them
rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock,
over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the
ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he
created him; male and female he created them</b>. Genesis 1:26-27 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>God
created humanity is His image and give humanity the role of ruling as God’s
representatives over all the rest of creation. They were to care for the earth
so that it would be fruitful. They were to do this in partnership with God Himself.
All of creation was to be blessed by God through humanity. But something went
wrong. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Adam and
Eve were the first to ask the question why. God had given them free access to
everything expect to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. One day Satan,
in the form of a serpent, planted the question why in the mind of Eve. Why can’t
I eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge? Isn’t having knowledge a good
thing? Is God holding out on me? You know the result; she took of the fruit and
give some to Adam and they ate. When their eyes were opened, they realized the
mistake they had made, and our world changed forever. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
sin came into the world, instead of caring for the world so that it would
thrive, humanity began to destroy the world with violence, greed, and
self-indulgence. This is the world we all live in. What God created to be
perfect is anything but perfect today. But God did not abandon humanity.
Instead, He made a way for humanity to be restored into a right relationship with
Him and with our world. He did this through Jesus Christ. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Gospel of John takes us back to the beginning and sets the stage for God’s
renewal plan. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">John 1:1-5 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. <br />
He was with God in the beginning. <br />
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been
made. <br />
In him was life, and that life was the light of men. <br />
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">John 1:14 (NIV)<b> </b><br />
<b>The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace
and truth.</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">John 3:16-17 (NIV) <br />
<b>"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him</b>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>God sent
Jesus into the world to restore what was lost. He came to rescue humanity from
itself; from its destructive, self-centered life. He came to open the door for
humanity to again walk with God in peace and harmony. But this can come only
through letting go of a person’s desire to control their life and in humility accepting
Jesus’ control of their life. It is only as person recognizes their rebellion against
God and genuinely repents and asks forgiveness, that they can be restored to
full humanity. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let us
return to my original question. Why should I live a godly life? Why should I
not just live for today and grasp all the enjoyment I can? The answer is found
in Romans 6:23. <b>For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.</b> Living in relationship with God is
life. Living without God is just existence. Living according to God’s will makes
it possible to experience life to its fullest, without regrets and the negative
consequences of sin. Jesus didn’t come to take away our freedom and restrict
our lives. He came to set us free to really experience life. <b>The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and
have it to the full</b>. John 10:10 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Watching
football, I have been alarmed at how many ads there are for on-line betting sites.
Each one promises big rewards for betting with them. What they don’t tell you
is that their goal is not to give you money, but to take your money away from
you. For every one who wins big, thousands more lose. Satan has offered the
world the ultimate on-line betting scheme. He promises you the world, but his
goal is to steal away your life. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Setting
my own course and living however I want to is opening the door for the ultimate
thief, whose end goal is to destroy me. Living my life in relationship with God
through Jesus Christ opens the door for me to experience life to the fullest. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So why
should I live a godly life? It is what I was created to do. It is only by
living according to God’s will that I can experience life to the fullest. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-16448522465507617952023-10-17T09:55:00.000-05:002023-10-17T09:55:20.501-05:00STAY FOCUSED<p><b> L</b><b style="text-align: center;">et us fix our
eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set
before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful
men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.</b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV)<b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We hear
a lot today about distracted driving. Routinely, on my drive into the office, I
see people absorbed on their cell phone while driving 80 mph down the freeway.
Recently, the state of Michigan passed a law against the use of cell phones
while you are driving, but people continue to do it. Old habits are hard to
break. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What we
don’t hear about today is distracted living. As dangerous as it is to be distracted
while you are driving, it is far more dangerous to live a distracted life, yet
many people do. To be honest, we all do, from time to time. There are so many
things that grab our attention and pull our focus away from what is really
important. There are many good things that we give too much attention to and that
distract us from living focused lives. There are many causes and conflicts that
grab our attention, and in doing so distract us. And there are intentional
efforts by some to distract us for their gain. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Suanne
and I attended a celebration banquet last night for Grace Adventures, a Christian
camp (which happens to be where our son and daughter-in-law work). Throughout
their presentation, they shared stories of lives changed through encountering
Jesus at camp. But at the center of everything they said was their focus to
impact lives with Jesus Christ. Although they offer a variety of activities and
formats, all that they do is focused on that one goal; to impact lives with
Jesus Christ. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
early church was often distracted from their main purpose. In the church at
Corinth, the church was distracted by a debate over who was their favorite
preacher. The church was distracted by the cultural environment around them and
what they could participate in and what they could not. They were distracted by
making the use of spiritual gifts a competition. They were even distracted by a
skewed concept of what it really means to love one another. Paul had to write
to them and bring them back to the Gospel of Christ.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Many
churches today are distracted by a variety of things. Many of these are good things,
but are being given the wrong place. Some of these things are harmful. They consume
our energy and distract us from living out the Gospel in our world. We get
caught up in endless debates and unending projects, and in the process, we lose
our focus. The Bible warns us to not get caught up in these controversies that
drain our energy and our resources. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
instructed both Timothy and Titus to steer clear of endless debates and
controversies. <b>As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in
Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any
longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote
controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith</b>. 1 Timothy 1:3-4
(NIV) <br />
<b>But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels
about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless</b>. Titus 3:9 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
writer of Hebrews challenges us to keep our focus on Christ. In Hebrews 12:3 he
tells us that if we keep our focus on Christ, we will not grow weary and lose
heart. I appreciate that, because I know what it is to become weary and lose heart.
At one season in my ministry, I went through a very difficult conflict from
within my church. It drained my energy and distracted our church from what we
were supposed to do. It took us quite a while to regain our focus. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Satan
is working double time to distract believers from living focused lives. He does
it by sowing the seeds of conflict within the church. He does it by
overwhelming us with choices, each of which demands our time and attention. He
even does it by offering us good things that keep us busy and distracted from
the best things. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Every
day we need to take the time to reset and refocus. We need to seek to put
things in their proper perspective and to never lose sight of Jesus. It is a
battle to live our lives focused on Christ and His mission in the world. It
will often put us at odds with those around us. But if we really want our lives
to count for eternity, them we need to be vigilant and stay focused. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Therefore we do
not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being
renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us
an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is
seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen
is eternal</b>. <br />
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-9699192898796101902023-10-12T09:35:00.000-05:002023-10-12T09:35:05.378-05:00ARE WE RESPONSIBLE?<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">Romans 14:12 (NIV)</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s not
my fault! We have all heard that phrase used to excuse some action that a
person has taken. Even though the freely made the choice, they do not want to
be held responsible foe that choice. There is always an excuse for why they
should be let off the hook. So, are we responsible for our choices? Or can we
live our lives however we want, without the fear of facing the consequences? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">It seems that we have a love/hate
relationship with personal responsibility. As a society we want to hold people
responsible for their actions. Many people are quick to make blanket
condemnations of others who they determine have violated some standard. The
public wants to hold the police responsible for their actions. Scientists want
to hold humanity responsible for Climate Change. We all want to hold our
leaders responsible for a down economy or rising costs. Yet, when the spotlight
is turned on us, we do not want to be held responsible for our own actions. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When it
comes to the issue of personal responsibility, we are all culpable. We are
quick to excuse our actions, while at the same time condemning the actions of others.
Our actions are understandable, while others actions are inexcusable. We are
living examples of Jesus’ parable of the man with the plank in his eye trying
to remove the speck from another’s eye. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Where the
issue of personal responsibility really hits a snag is the idea of ultimately
being held responsible for how we have lived our lives. Many people have bought
into the idea that they can live their life whatever way they want to without
being held accountable. When a person takes God out of the equation, then that
makes sense, in a way. But we cannot take God out of the equation. The Bible
makes it very clear that some day everyone of us will stand before God and give
an account for our lives. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We are
created in the image of God, and a part of what that means is that we have the
freedom to make choices. We are not robots, but free moral beings. This freedom
to make choices is a great asset, but it also come with some qualifiers. We are
free to make our own decisions, but we then have to own the consequences of
those decisions. If we make wise and godly decisions, then the consequences are
positive. If we make unwise or ungodly decisions, then the consequences will be
negative. This is a fact that is in play right now. There are natural
consequences to every decision we make and we don’t have to wait too long to
experience them. Some consequences are immediate, while others take longer to
develop, but we don’t have to wait until eternity to find out what they are. If
we make bad decisions, we get bad results. If we make good decisions, we get
good results. We might forestall the bad results for a while and we may have to
wait for the good results to develop, but in the end what we receive will line
up with our choices. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Here is where
this thing called personal responsibility comes in. We are quick to take credit
for the good things we have done. We are not so quick to take responsibility
for the bad things we have done. In fact, we will often do whatever we can to
avoid responsibility. We blame others, society, or our genetics. To put it
another way, we want the freedom to make mud pies, but we don’t want to have to
eat them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Throughout
the Bible we are told that God is going to hold us responsible for how we have lived
our lives. When God called the people of Israel to be His chosen people, He
told them clearly that if they followed His laws He would bless them
abundantly, but if they disobeyed and went their own way, He would punish them.
Ironically, more often than not, Israel chose to go their own way, then
complained to God for being unfair to them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Apostle Paul reminds us that a day is coming when we all will have to stand
before God and be judged for how we have lived our lives. <b>For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is
due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.</b> 2
Corinthians 5:10 (NIV) We are responsible for the decisions we have made and we
will be held accountable. Therefore, we should live within that reality. How we
live our lives and the decisions we make are important and they matter to God. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We live
in a world that acts as if there is no personal responsibility. People feel
free to do whatever they desire. Few people think about the consequences of
their actions. They approach life much like the government approaches the
national debt; they just keep trying to push the consequences down the road.
But one day the bill will come due. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
followers of Christ, we have been called to live differently. We are called to
take personal responsibility for our actions. When we sin, we own it and ask
for forgiveness. We strive to live lives pleasing to God. We strive to make
choices that are in line with God’s design for our lives. And we know that
ultimately, God will reward us for our efforts. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Matthew 16:27 (NIV)<b>
</b><br />
<b>For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels,
and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. </b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-8172640314332063962023-10-03T09:36:00.000-05:002023-10-03T09:36:09.883-05:00IS MY FAITH GENUINE?<p style="text-align: center;"> <b style="text-align: center;">These people honor
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me</b><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Matthew 15:8 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Do you
ever question if your faith in genuine or not? This is a question I have
pondered often through the years. At times when I feel dry or disconnected from
God I wonder if my faith is real. My faith has been affirmed many times in
various ways, yet that nagging question remains. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Pharisees of Jesus’ day were the religious elite. They dedicated their lives to
the study of the Torah. They were obsessive about keeping all of the ceremonial
laws. From the outside, they looked like they had it all together spiritually.
If anyone was right with God, it had to be them. But Jesus didn’t agree. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
Matthew 15, some Pharisees challenged Jesus about his disciples not following
all of the traditions of the elders. Jesus countered their complaint by showing
that they were willing to set aside what was written in the Torah in favor of
their own traditions. Then Jesus quoted from Isaiah 29:13.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>"'These
people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship
me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"</b> <br />
Matthew 15:8-9 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus’
pointed words remind me that it is possible to say the right things and do the
right things and still not be in a right relationship with God. Throughout history,
the Church, like the Pharisees, have added different rules and traditions to
the scriptures. These rules have become the measure of a person’s faith and
spirituality. If a person did not wear the right clothes, or use the right
words, or conform to the right interpretation of the Bible, then their faith
was called into question. In that environment, it was easy to become a “checklist”
Christian. If I do these things and I don’t do these things then I’m in. God
has to accept me. Faith became a matter of outward appearance and not of the
heart. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
many years I fell in the camp of being a “checklist” Christian. I was very
legalistic in my views. There was a right way and a wrong way and nothing in
between. I most often applied this to my own life, judging my faith by how well
I was living up to the checklist. The outcome was that the question of the
genuineness of my faith kept surfacing. Was I really placing my faith in Jesus,
or was I just going through the motions. As I gained a fuller, more mature understanding
of faith, I came to accept that my standing before God was not based on my
performance, but upon what Jesus has done for me on the cross. The more I
looked to Jesus, the less I depended on the checklist. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
question, is my faith genuine, is a good one to reconsider regularly. For my
faith can become stale and unproductive. The question is not am I saved, but am
I genuinely living out the reality of my salvation. As Paul writes, work out
your salvation with fear and trembling. I think even Paul struggled to make
sure that his faith was genuine. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul hints at the
spiritual struggle that he went through. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Do you not know
that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a
way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict
training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a
crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running
aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and
make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be
disqualified for the prize</b>. <br />
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
did not want to stumble and fail just before the finish line. He wanted to make
sure that his faith was genuine right up to the end. In Paul’s second letter to
the Corinthians, he challenged them to examine their faith to see if it is
genuine. <b>Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test
yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course,
you fail the test?</b> <br />
(2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)) Paul was telling the Corinthians and us not to be
complacent about our faith. We need to regular test our faith to make sure that
we are on the right track. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I don’t
believe that a person can lose their salvation, but a person can let their
faith grow cold and be unproductive. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3, what we
have done with our salvation will be tested by God. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>By the grace God
has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is
building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can
lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If
any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay
or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it
to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of
each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If
it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one
escaping through the flames.</b> <br />
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Is my
faith genuine? I believe that it is based on what God has revealed in His word.
My faith is genuine, but it is not completely mature. I still have much work to
do to make my faith is what it needs to be. So I will press on toward the goal
to win the prize in Christ Jesus. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Therefore, my dear
friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more
in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for
it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose</b>.
<br />
Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-45032131153581526352023-09-12T09:52:00.001-05:002023-09-12T09:52:14.110-05:00ONE OF A KIND<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>He is the image of
the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.</b> <br />
Colossians 1:15 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> I think
we have a love/hate relationship with anything or anyone who is one-of-a-kind.
On the one hand there is a desire by many people and products to stand out from
the crowd. They want to be unique and not fit into any prescribed role. Those
who do achieve this kind of status are applauded at first, but soon they become
a target. There seems to be a propensity today toward attacking and cutting
down anyone who stands out from the norm. If someone is too unique, then there
most be something wrong with them. Or, if they are too unique, they make others
feel inadequate, so we need to cut the one-of-a-kind down to size. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> I have
been reading William Craig’s book, “A Reasonable Faith.” The (long) chapter I
have been reading recently addresses the quest to find the historical Jesus.
Ever since the Enlightenment, there have been those who want to cut Jesus down
to size. They claim that the Jesus of
the Bible is too good to be true, too unique, too one-of-a-kind. They claim
that the Jesus of the Bible is a different person than the Jesus of history. So,
their quest has been to strip away all of the mythology that has surrounded
Jesus and to discover the true, historical Jesus. In essence, they want a Jesus
who is normal, who is just like everyone else. For some reason, they just
cannot accept that Jesus is the ultimate one-of-a-kind. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> When we
look at the Bible as a whole from a historical perspective, we can see that it
stands up to the test of historicity. Scholars have been debating the accuracy
and the historicity of the Bible for centuries. Today, more than any other
time, we have access to ancient evidence that again and again validates the
accuracy and historicity of the Bible. The shear number of manuscripts that
date within 100 years of the originals far outstrips every other ancient manuscript.
In addition, archeological discoveries have affirmed time and again the
accuracy of what is recorded in the Bible. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> With
this evidence in hand, we can take a better look at what the Bible has to say
about Jesus. It is obvious that those who recorded the life and teachings of
Jesus intended to leave an accurate, historical account. We should not be
surprised that this history is intertwined with theology. Jesus’ entire
ministry was theological. Jesus saw himself as the fulfillment of all of God’s
promises to His covenant people. His followers came to realize the same thing. Although
there were many others who claimed to be the promised Messiah, only Jesus
actually fulfilled that role. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> In
Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses predicted that God would raise up a new prophet like
Moses to lead the people. Throughout their history, the people of Israel looked
for and longed for that prophet. Many arose who showed promise, yet all of them
failed in the end, that is until Jesus. The prophet Isaiah described who this
Messiah would be in detail. He would be both a conquering king and a suffering
servant. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The
people of Jesus’ day did not believe that he was the Messiah because he did not
fit their idea of a political conqueror who would free them from their bandage
to Rome. At first, as Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons, the crowds
were ready to follow him. But when he began to teach about the Kingdom of God
and refused to be a political leader, most turned away from him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> After
Jesus’ death on a cross, his burial, and his resurrection, the eyes of his
faithful followers were opened by the Holy Spirit. They realized that Jesus was
indeed the promised Messiah. He had fulfilled all that God had said about the
Messiah. So, they began to proclaim the reality that Jesus was and is the
one-of-a-kind Savior of the world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"> Jesus himself declared his uniqueness, which is one
reason he was condemned. In John 10:30 Jesus made the bold statement that he
and the Father were one. Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he declared
to Martha that <b>"I am the resurrection and the life. He who
believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes
in me will never die. Do you believe this?"</b> John
11:25-26 (NIV) When Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure, he
made an even bolder claim. <b>“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me.”</b> John 14:6 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"> At
the very beginning of John’s gospel, he set the stage for the uniqueness of
Jesus. <b>In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were
made; without him nothing was made that has been made.</b> <br />
John 1:1-3 (NIV) <b>The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth.</b> <br />
John 1:14 (NIV)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"> The
Apostle Peter boldly stood up before the Sanhedrin, the very group that had
crucified Jesus, and declared that Jesus is the only source of salvation. <b>“Salvation
is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men
by which we must be saved.” </b>Acts 4:12 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"> The
Apostle Paul, a man steeped in Jewish theology and history, boldly declared
that Jesus is the unique, one-of-a-kind Messiah. <b>He is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were
created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones
or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.</b> Colossians
1:15-17 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"> The
writer of Hebrews also boldly proclaimed the uniqueness. Of Jesus. <b>The Son
is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being,
sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification
for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became
as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to
theirs</b>. Hebrews 1:3-4 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"> The
uniqueness of Jesus has withstood the test of time. Still today, many people
want to cut Jesus down to size, to make him nothing more than a good moral
teacher or some misguided religious fanatic. But Jesus continues to rise above
the fray. He truly stands unique. There is no other religious leader like him.
There is no one who has claimed what he claimed and verified it by his life and
actions. There is no one who even comes close to the influence Jesus has had on
human history. Jesus is truly the ultimate one-of-a-kind. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p> </p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681857216164722637.post-39900529385599061922023-09-05T13:09:00.000-05:002023-09-05T13:09:16.152-05:00WE ARE NOT ALONE<p style="text-align: center;"> <b style="text-align: center;">For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms</b><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A quick
search on the internet reveals that there are many people who believe that we
are not alone in the universe. A National Geographic poll reported that 36% of
Americans, about 80 million people, believe UFOs exist. A survey conducted by
the Pew Research Center found that approximately 65% of Americans concur that
extraterrestrials exist. Another poll found that almost two-thirds of Americans
believe that there is alien life beyond earth. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Although
many people refuse to believe in God or in a spiritual dimension that is
parallel to our physical dimension, they readily embrace the idea of life in
the universe beyond earth. Ironically, the most common concept of this “alien”
life is that they are more advanced and more intelligent than we are, and that
they are probably a threat to humanity. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Bible clearly states that indeed we are not alone in the universe. There is a
spiritual realm that co-exists with our physical realm. It is inhabited by
spiritual beings, some of whom are servants of God and some of whom are in
rebellion against God. For centuries, the reality of these beings was accepted
by the majority of people. Today, in our sophisticated, scientific world, the
majority of people have rejected the idea of spiritual beings. Yet, they are
willing to embrace the existence of beings from another planet. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The way
the Bible depicts these spiritual beings, in many ways, parallels the way many
people think of aliens. These spiritual beings are more powerful than we are,
and in some ways have more knowledge. Some of these spiritual beings are a
direct threat to humanity. They have the ability to invade a person’s mind and
body and cause them to act in destructive ways toward themselves and others.
The story of the demon-possessed man in Luke 8 is a prime example. In other cases,
these spiritual beings cause sickness to invade a person. Luke 9:37-45 records the
experience of a boy who had a demon that caused him to convulse and often cast
him into the fire. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the
other hand, the Bible also talks about spiritual beings who are God’s messengers
to specific people. These messengers are there to assist and sometime protect
individuals. We see examples of this in the story of Abraham, Jacob, Joshua, Daniel,
Elijah, Mary, Joseph, Peter, and Jesus. Jesus specifically mentions the work of
angels with regard to children. <b>“See that you do not look down on one of
these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the
face of my Father in heaven.”</b> Matthew 18:10 (NIV) Hebrews talks about
angels assiting people in the course of their life’s journey. <b>Are not all
angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?</b> Hebrews
1:14 (NIV) <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is clear
from the Bible that we are not alone in the universe. There is a spiritual
realm that exists in tandem with our physical world. These spiritual beings, from
time to time, reveal themselves to humans in a physical form. This could be as
a messenger from God or as an evil spirit. It would not be surprising if the
UFOS that people are obsessed with are not evil spirits manifesting themselves
in a tangible form to lead people away from belief in God. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
is no doubt that the spiritual realm interacts with our physical realm.
Although many people do not want to acknowledge the spiritual realm, none the
less, we can see the negative influence of rebellious spirits in the crime,
violence, greed, and arrogance of our world. Satan cannot directly attack God,
but he can attack those who God loves the most, humanity. He is a master of
disguise and so he shields people from seeing the truth that lies just behind
the curtain. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
good news is that Jesus has already defeated the rebellious spirits in the
heavenly realms. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Therefore God
exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth
and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father. <br />
</b>Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)<b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Although
these rebellious spirits continue to fight against Him, their fate is sealed.
There is a day coming when Jesus’ rule will become a tangible reality for all
of creation. We are not alone in the universe. There is a spiritual realm all
around us that one day will become one with us as we stand in awe before the
throne of God. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Praise the
LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Praise him, all
his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Praise him, sun
and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b><sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></sup>Praise him, you highest heavens and you
waters above the skies. <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b><sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></sup>Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created. <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>He set them in
place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away. <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Praise the LORD
from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and
hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all
hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures
and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all
rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children. <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Let them praise
the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the
earth and the heavens. He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of
all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the LORD.</b> <br />
Psalm 148:1-14 (NIV)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10883719947963377035noreply@blogger.com0